Side Effects

Hunter's Burden

         The ride to California was filled with classic rock music. They hadn't been on the road for very long, they still had a while until they get to Paradise. Stiles' mind was running a thousand miles per hour trying to find a way to guarantee that Beacon Hills won't end up on any hunters' radar, wondering how similar or different they are from the Argents. So far, the brothers have proven themselves as capable as the Argents but seem a lot less organized. The Argents made long-term complicated plans to capture their target like dating one of the werewolves or becoming the principal of the local high school. Sam and Dean were different, doing a fair amount of research to find out more about the situation but get their job done quickly. Stiles doesn't know which method is worse. Maybe if he finds out exactly how they tend to think when they hunt, he can make sure they stay away from Beacon Hills.
"So... how long have you guys been hunting?" Stiles started off, he had to raise his voice a bit due to the loud music and the impala's engine.
Sam's eyes broke away from his laptop and looked at his brother, Dean just gave him a short glance and a shrug, it isn't like either of them had anything to hide when it came to their upbringing, a tragic story to trigger a career in hunting was common in the hunting community. Sometimes someone knew their dad when he was alive and already heard the story.
"We've been hunting since we were kids, it's a family business", Sam replied in short. The reality was that it felt ten times longer than it was since they were first new to hunting and Dean was showing him how to handle a gun for the first time, whether it be experience or the literal years both he and Dean collectively spent in Hell.
Stiles' eyebrows shot up in surprise at Sam's response. Stiles wasn't shocked at hunting being a family thing, that was the Argent's deal too, but he was intrigued at them being kids when they started. The Argent's didn't even tell Allison about the supernatural until Kate pushed for it when Alison was 17, to be a child in a world full of monsters and it's your job to actively seek them out must have been terrifying. Stiles almost said as much,
"Kids? If there was a monster under your bed would you grab a knife instead of hiding under the covers?"
"More like a sawed-off", Dean chuckled. At this point in life, Dean didn't hold resentment toward his father for being raised the way he was, the lives they saved had to be worth more than sacrificing a perfect childhood. If anything, he just wished Sam had it better and avoided most of the crap the job has put them through.
Stiles mulled over Dean's answer, he didn't know how to feel about it to say the least. He himself didn't have a perfect life, but he couldn't imagine becoming a child soldier and going up against anything in the supernatural world. Granted, Stiles and Scott were pretty young when Scott got turned and their misadventures began but something younger than that seems unimaginable.
"Is there a lot more hunters in the world?" Stiles asked.
"There's a community, but what we hunt isn't common knowledge much less the profession of hunting them down", Sam explained. "The community definitely decreases more than it increases."
Stiles sadly couldn't be shocked at that, if anything it was par for the course. Maybe it was cliché to think so, but Sam and Dean didn't seem so different from the pack back home, both parties would probably be horrified at the comparison. Stiles was actually finding it more difficult to remember that they are technically the enemy, but he had to if he was going to steer them away from Beacon Hills.
Sam realised he was probably freaking the kid out more than necessary, despite only telling the truth. It was a harsh reality he and his brother had to live with but when explaining it to someone who isn't already involved made it even harsher. Sam tried to distract himself from those thoughts by continuing to search through several California news articles for a possible hunt. While bringing Stiles home safely was a worthwhile endeavor, it wouldn't hurt to take advantage of this rare trip to the west coast. If Sam couldn't find anything by the time they get Stiles home, he planned to call around to see if there were any hunters in the area that needed some assistance.
Dean glanced at his brother, making sure the topic of conversation wasn't hitting him too hard. Sam seemed fine, probably as numb to talking about death as Dean is. Dean wasn't fond of telling the kid so much about what they've lost but it might help the Stiles steer away from this life. Dean has met one too many kids that take on the responsibility of being a hunter without knowing what it really means, the sacrifice it takes. Stiles at least didn't seem like the type to try hunting, he's already shown he has a lot keeping him home, family, friends, a future.
The three of them continued the trip in silence. Once Stiles was no longer engaged in conversation and trying to find a way to use the information as an advantage, he realised how exhausted he's been this whole time. His last good night sleep was interrupted by an abduction and had a panic attack in between then and now.
"Sam, are we going to stop to eat somewhere before we get there?" Stiles asked, just before he gave out a quiet yawn.
Sam looked back at Stiles and saw his yawn and it reminded him that a kid like him was used to a quieter life than was the last couple days have consisted of and probably couldn't handle as much as him and Dean. He looked to his brother and Dean gave him a small nod, seeming to understand Sam's thinking, the kid needs food and rest after all he's been through.
"Sure, we'll stop to eat when we're halfway there to hold us over the rest of the way," Sam replied.
Stiles nodded and adjusted himself into a more comfortable position for a nap. By stopping to eat somewhere, he could make sure to do something, anything, before they get to Paradise.