The full moon hung suspended in the velvet darkness, casting silver light across the empty stretch of highway.
John Winchester sat on the hood of his truck - not the Impala, which he'd given to Dean years ago - with his legs stretched out before him and a half-empty six-pack of beer at his side.
He took another long pull from the bottle, his weathered face turned upward. The moon was the same one that had shone down on the night Lucien was born. Strange how something so distant could remain so constant while everything beneath it changed beyond recognition.
John checked his watch. 11:58 PM. June 6th.
In two minutes, his son would turn eighteen. Somewhere out there, Lucien was becoming a man - without him.
"Happy birthday, son," John whispered to the empty air.
The words felt hollow, inadequate. Five years of silence couldn't be bridged with a whisper no one would hear.
He tilted the bottle back, draining the last of the beer in one long swallow. The digital display on his watch flipped to midnight, and something broke inside him.
With a roar that tore from somewhere deep in his chest, John hurled the empty bottle at the asphalt.
It shattered with a sound like ice cracking, glass fragments catching moonlight as they scattered across the road.
The sudden violence gave way to silence. John's breathing slowed as he stared at the broken glass.
"If I could go back to that day," he murmured, "would I choose differently?"
He reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew his wallet, fingers finding the worn photograph tucked behind his fake FBI credentials.
The edges were soft from handling, the image showing a nine-year-old Lucien with serious eyes that had always seemed too old for his face.
John's thumb traced the outline of his son's features as the memory rose unbidden, sharp and clear as the day it happened...
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-Five Years Ago
Sunlight streamed through the tall windows of the Mikaelson mansion as servants led the Winchester family through the grand entrance hall.
John's hand hovered near the concealed weapon at his hip, eyes scanning for threats despite the civilized veneer of their surroundings.
Kate walked beside him, her shoulders rigid with tension. Adam clung to her side, eyes wide as he took in the opulent surroundings.
Sam and Dean flanked their father in an unconscious defensive formation, while Bobby brought up the rear, adjusting his cap as he surveyed the mansion with undisguised suspicion.
"Rich vampire bastards," he muttered under his breath.
Jeremy hung slightly back, his gaze fixed on the imposing double doors ahead. "Elena's in there?" he asked, his voice small but hopeful.
John placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, his expression softening momentarily. "They both are," he confirmed. "Let's go get our family back."
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The doors swung open to reveal a spacious sitting room where the Original family waited.
Klaus occupied an ornate armchair like it was a throne, while Elijah stood nearby with perfect posture, hands clasped behind his back.
Kol lounged against a bookshelf, a smirk playing at his lips, while Rebekah perched on the arm of a couch where Elena sat beside Lucien.
But it was Lucien who drew every eye.
At thirteen, he already looked older, his face having lost some of its childish roundness, his eyes holding shadows that hadn't been there before.
He wore clothes that were clearly expensive - dark slacks and a blue button-down that made his eyes seem brighter.
"Lucien!" Kate cried, breaking protocol and rushing forward with Adam at her heels.
She fell to her knees before him, arms wrapping around his slender frame. Adam barreled into them both, his small arms trying to encircle his brother's waist.
"Lulu! You're okay!" Adam's voice was muffled against Lucien's shirt.
The Originals observed this reunion with varying expressions - Klaus calculating, Elijah dignified, Kol amused, Rebekah touched despite herself. Katherine stood slightly apart, her eyes never leaving Lucien.
Elijah cleared his throat, stepping forward to address John. "Mr. Winchester," he said, his tone formal but not unfriendly. "As promised, you have become able to see your son again- as soon as I possibly could."
John's jaw clenched, but he nodded stiffly. "Thank you for keeping him safe."
"I must apologize for preventing you from accompanying us on the rescue mission," Elijah continued. "But I'm sure you understand we couldn't afford distractions."
"Distractions?" Dean repeated, anger flashing in his eyes.
Before tension could escalate, Kol pushed himself away from the bookshelf with a chuckle. "Oh, Elijah, always so diplomatic. Why don't you get your facts straight?"
He sauntered forward, hands spread wide in theatrical fashion. "No one rescued the boy. He saved himself, killed Dracula and his armies all on his own, and saved this family and the entire world on top of it."
Kol's smirk widened at the shock on the Winchesters' faces. "Oh yes, he prevented a fully resurrected and healed Dracula from getting his vengeance and waging war against Heaven for his wife. Because let's be real here-" he cast a sidelong glance at Klaus, "-maybe Nik could've taken on the big bad Dracul, but none of the rest of us would've stood a chance, not after he crucified the boy and drank his holy blood."
"Crucified?" Kate whispered, her face draining of color as she grabbed Lucien's hands, turning them over to reveal the faint scars on his palms. "Oh God..."
"Kol," Klaus growled in warning.
Kol raised his hands in mock surrender, his expression deceptively innocent. "What? I'm simply giving credit where it's due."
Elijah observed his younger brother with narrowed eyes, noting the unusual protectiveness beneath Kol's provocative words. It was uncharacteristic - Kol actually cared about the boy receiving recognition.
Dean's face had darkened with rage. He rounded on Trevor Belmont, who stood quietly near the wall. "What the hell were you doing?" he demanded, advancing on the hunter. "You were supposed to protect him!"
Trevor met Dean's fury with calm resignation. "I tried-"
"You were the one taken with these bloodsuckers while we were left behind," Dean continued, his voice rising. "Why didn't you protect him?"
"Dean," Lucien's voice cut through the tension, surprisingly steady. "Stop. It's not fair to blame Trevor."
He gently disentangled himself from Kate and Adam's embrace. "It happened long before anyone arrived. I'm fine, and I gave the bastard what he deserved for it."
The casual way Lucien referenced his own torture and subsequent victory sent a chill through the room.
John had remained unnaturally still throughout this exchange, but his eyes had taken on the cold of rage and want for vengeance.
Sam stood beside him, his face showing controlled rage but overwhelming concern, his fists clenched at his sides.
"You're not fine," Kate insisted, reaching for Lucien again. "You've been tortured, you've been-"
But Lucien had already backed away, his movements subtle but deliberate. A flicker of hurt crossed Kate's face as her son created distance between them.
Lucien moved to sit on the couch again, and without seeming to think about it, leaned his head against Katherine's shoulder.
She immediately wrapped an arm around him, pulling him closer so the back of his head rested against her chest. With deliberate eye contact toward Kate, she kissed his temple.
The room temperature seemed to drop. Kate's expression transformed from hurt to something harder, more dangerous.
After a moment of silence, "Get your hands off my son," she said, each word precise and cold.
Katherine met her gaze steadily. "I'm afraid I can't do that," she replied with surprisingly a tone of respect. "Lucien came to me, and his comfort is my priority."
"His comfort?" Kate's voice rose. "You don't care about his comfort! You only care about how you can use him because of his powers!"
John placed a hand on Kate's shoulder, trying to calm her- it not being wise to start a fight here, not with how disadvantageous it is. "Kate-"
She shrugged him off violently, turning her fury on him. "And you! You've been standing there doing nothing - you've been doing nothing for years! When I wasn't around, you let this - this demoness worm her way into my baby's life and take him from us!"
Her voice broke. "I've had enough. I'll take matters into my own hands."
Kate suddenly pulled a gun from her jacket and fired directly at Katherine's head.
The world seemed to slow. Lucien's eyes widened as he raised his hand instinctively. The wooden bullet froze in midair, suspended by invisible force just inches from Katherine's forehead.
Kate's shocked expression quickly hardened as she adjusted her aim to fire again.
"ENOUGH!" Lucien's voice thundered through the mansion, enhanced by the Force to a volume that rattled windows and shook the crystal chandeliers.
Everyone froze, stunned by the power in that single word.
A heavy silence fell over the room, broken only by Kate's ragged breathing.
After a long moment of silence, Lucien slowly stood, his face controlled. He approached his mother and gently took her hands in his, pulling her down to her knees so they were at eye level.
There was a long moment of silence, the two gazing into each other's eyes- his sad ones, into her tearful ones.
"I love you," he suddenly said softly, his voice returned to normal. "I will always love you. You should never worry about me being taken from you." His expression softened. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pull back like that before. I'm just... tired. Really tired, Mom."
Kate's anger crumbled. She wrapped her arms around her son and sobbed against his shoulder, holding him with desperation. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she repeated between gasps.
Lucien rubbed soothing circles on her back, kissing her cheek as he let her cry. For a long moment, only Kate's sobs filled the room, the Originals watching this display of human emotion with varying degrees of interest and discomfort.
Eventually, Kate's tears subsided. She pulled back enough to look at Lucien's face, her hands gripping his. "Come back with us," she pleaded. "I want you to come home."
Lucien opened his mouth to respond, but before he could speak, Klaus's voice cut through the room: "He can't."
All eyes turned to the Original hybrid, who remained seated in his armchair, watching the scene unfold with calculated interest.
Sam took an angry step toward Klaus. "You-"
"He's right," Lucien interrupted, drawing everyone's attention back to him.
Confusion replaced anger on the Winchesters' faces.
Lucien raised his palm, revealing the jaguar mark - now darker and more malevolent than before. "I can't come with you," he said quietly. "During my fight with Dracula, things... happened."
He paused, clearly omitting details. "The Brand of Sacrifice has fed on darkness, and it's dark magic has become stronger... So much stronger."
His gaze focused on Adam, who clung to John's leg. "I can't come with you. If I do, all of you will be in danger. And I refuse to bring any of you into danger."
As he let them process this, he continued speaking, turning his gaze towards the Originals. "You don't need to worry about me. Despite our... unpleasant way of getting together, they ... came to rescue me.
They came to save me from Dracula when that monster was one of the few ones that could have actually killed them," he said, glancing toward Klaus, whose expression imperceptibly softened as their eyes met. "They took a big risk for me, and I'm grateful for that."
He turned back to John. "I'm okay here. Really. You don't need to worry about me."
A long silence followed as John processed his son's words. When he finally spoke, his voice was firm: "No."
"No," John repeated, stepping forward to kneel before Lucien. He placed his hands on his son's shoulders, his grip firm but gentle. "You are my son. MY SON. And I won't abandon you to save my own skin."
His voice dropped lower, intense with emotion. "What kind of father would I be if I did that? I might as well not be one at all."
Lucien's expression remained calm, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of something - hope, perhaps, or resignation. "A good one," he said softly. "I'm... Honestly Dad, I'm not going to sugarcoat it. There are two paths forward."
He glanced toward Klaus before continuing. "Even if you could somehow take me from here without Klaus preventing it, this is what will happen:
I will constantly draw monsters to us. More than ever before. Hundreds, maybe even thousands from across the entire continent."
Lucien's voice took on a tone of detachment. Cold. Precise. "There will be no peace, no rest. You will die. Mom will die. Bobby will die. Sam will die. Dean will die. Adam will die. Elena will die. Jeremy will die. Trevor will die. And even I may die."
Kate tried to interrupt, but Lucien continued, turning to her. "And even if- if by some chance we all survive, will that really be living? Constantly on the run? Even if Klaus here, and his siblings help- which I highly doubt, but let's even consider that if here - what can be done besides locking ourselves on some island? Far from everything. Far from truly living."
His eyes found Adam again. "Will that be the life you want for Adam? Never able to have a normal life at all? A life of trauma, pain, monsters breaking into our homes trying to eat us alive? Never able to have friends, go to school, socialize, grow up and have a girlfriend, follow his dreams, become a doctor - Adam will have none of that.
Will you really do that to him?"
He turned back to John. "And will you really give up your vengeance? You'll never have time to hunt the Yellow-Eyed demon. You'll never have the peace of avenging Sam and Dean's mom.
That monster may even come back for Sam and Dean if he isn't dealt with. Will you really put them in danger just to take me with you? That is the reason you became a hunter- beyond revenge, it's fear- fear that it will one day come back for them. You wanting to protect them.
Will you really put them in that danger- let there be a chance for it to happen again, for you to lose the last thing of Mary you have...
For me? The cursed son? The son who only brought you problems? The son who's taken away your peace? Your happiness? Your safet-"
"STOP!" Sam's voice exploded through the room, startling everyone.
Lucien actually flinched, unused to seeing his normally controlled brother so angry.
Sam stepped forward, breathing heavily, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails drew blood from his palms. "Stop," he repeated, his voice raw with emotion. "Just... stop!"
Lucien collected himself. "Stop what, Sam?"
Sam gritted his teeth, his entire body vibrating with tension. "Stop making your greatest fears reality."
The words hung in the air like physical things. Lucien's eyes widened slightly.
"This is it, isn't it?" Sam continued, his voice dropping to an intense whisper. "This scenario where everyone abandons you to keep what they want over you - this is your greatest fear. The thing you've always dreaded becoming reality, as you felt it inside each and every one of our hearts."
Sam took another step forward, his expression softening despite his obvious anger. "But don't you get it? It doesn't have to be this way. We can find other ways. This world is big, and I-" his voice broke slightly, "-I REFUSE to let you throw yourself into loneliness for us."
Kol began to speak from his position by the bookshelf. "The boy won't be lonely, he'll have us-"
Sam whirled toward him, pointing an accusatory finger. "You! Shut up!"
Kol's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the human's audacity, but something in Sam's expression actually silenced him.
Sam turned back to Lucien. "This family doesn't sacrifice one of their own for their wants. We will do whatever it takes to keep you with us and keep each other safe. Happy."
Lucien was silent for a long moment. When he spoke, his voice was quiet but steady. "Sam, stop, just- see the bigger picture here. Are you actually willing to bring Dean into danger? Because bringing me with you will put him in danger. Dean may die- the person you love most in this world will die."
Sam shook his head violently, swinging his arm to the side. "Dean can take care of himself! Dean himself would also never abandon you!"
Dean, who had been watching the exchange with shock - particularly at Sam's apparently loving him the most - quickly refocused. "Yeah," he said firmly. "You're our little brother. As the older brother, it's my job to keep you safe, not the other way around."
Lucien narrowed his eyes, turning his gaze back to Sam. "You won't have a normal life with me around. That's simply impossible. Are you prepared for that? Can you accept that?"
Without hesitation, Sam answered: "Yes."
Lucien's eyes widened as he sensed the absolute truth in Sam's emotions.
Lucien for a moment needed to compose himself- that Sam actually chose him over his desire for a normal life. Eventually he did as he shook his head slightly.
Seeing he couldn't convince his brothers, he turned back to his parents, who were still kneeling before him. "Mom, Dad, you still haven't answered." he told them softly.
The silence stretched, heavy with unspoken thoughts. Lucien could feel it - the doubt, the frustration, the uncertainty emanating from both of them.
John opened his mouth to respond, but Kate spoke first.
"No," she said, her head bowed, face hidden beneath her long hair. After a moment, she raised her tear-streaked face. "No. I- I can't accept Adam not having a normal life. Being in danger of dying."
Lucien felt it then - the wave of relief from his father at Kate's words.
His own expression settled into one of sad acceptance, as though this outcome had been expected all along.
And it was. One's heart can not lie before the scales of Balance.
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John stared at the shattered glass on the asphalt, the memory fading back into the darkness of the present night.
The shame and self-disgust he'd felt in that moment had never truly left him - the relief that Kate had made the choice so he didn't have to, the way Lucien had looked at him with that terrible acceptance, like he'd known all along what John would choose.
"Dad's quest comes first," John whispered bitterly to himself- what he believes Lucien must've thought in that moment. "Always has."
He slid off the hood of the truck and kicked at the scattered glass fragments, sending them skittering across the road. Five years. Five years since that day, and everything had fallen apart.
Sam, disgusted with both parents- especially his Dad, had left for Stanford, cutting ties with everyone except Dean.
And Dean - Dean who had been torn between loyalty to his father and love for his brother - Lucien - couldn't bring himself to go against John's decision.
Now he carried that shame like a physical weight, unable even to call Lucien on his birthday.
Afraid that Lucien will hate him, for not fighting like Sam did.
John hated himself for how he'd made both his eldest sons feel like they'd failed their younger brother.
And Adam... Adam had grown from a confused eleven-year-old into a resentful sixteen-year-old who barely spoke to either of his parents, convinced they had abandoned his beloved older brother.
He climbed into the driver's seat of his truck and started the engine, the headlights illuminating the empty road ahead.
The bottle fragments glinted in his rearview mirror, catching the moonlight like fallen stars.
John Winchester drove into the darkness, knowing that all he truly had left was...
His vengeance.
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(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter.
So, I decided it high time to actually show what happened five years ago.
I hope you all liked it.
Do tell me if you liked the drama.
Like, I at first decided to immediately time skip, because I thought you guys were getting tired of the drama, but some readers corrected me on that- so here we are.
I aim to please.
Well, I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)