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It was really an accident. Jack would never do anything like that on purpose. He knew how precious the Impala was to his dad so he wouldn't dare damaging it. He just wanted to ride his bicycle a bit which had been tucked in the corner of the garage. Unfortunately, while taking it out, Jack heard a dreadful screech as one of the pedals scratched the back of the car right next to the tire. At first, Jack hoped that nothing serious happened and he wanted to wipe off what he thought was dust from the pedal left on the car he froze realizing that the mark was actually paintwork being scratched off. A lot of thoughts went through Jack's head but none of it gave him any good idea of how to fix the already awful situation.
Eventually, he slowly pushed the bicycle back in the corner, making sure not to touch the car again, and ran out of the garage unnoticed.
"Son of a—"
"Dean," Castiel stopped him.
The hunter walked in the kitchen, obviously angered. His shirt and hands were covered in dust and oil which meant that he must have been doing something in the garage. Nothing unusual, however, the remaining anger as he grabbed a wet cloth to clean himself, was something else.
"What happened?" the angel asked, placing Jack's dinner in front of him.
"Some asshole scratched Baby!" Internally, Castiel rolled his eyes because Dean acted like that was the end of the world. In fact, for Dean it was close to that. After all, he cherished the car and took a better care of it than he did for himself. It was one of very few possessions that reminded him of his parents and, well, his whole life before and while being a hunter. That's why, the angel decided to be as understanding as possible.
"Maybe somebody scratched it on a parking lot?"
Dean shook his head. "No, I haven't been parking anywhere near cars recently. What if that's a sign?" the hunter, suddenly, asked as his instincts flared.
"Dean..." Castiel groaned. "People scratch— or get their cars scratched," he quickly added. "All the time."
No matter how true the angel's words were, Dean just couldn't ignore it. With an annoyed huff he sat at the table opposite to Jack as the boy was simply poking his food with a fork. The longer the conversation took, the more stressed he was getting. Dad seemed to be really mad which fully discouraged the kid from telling the truth. He wouldn't be able to look him in the face while doing that. And, after all, if dad didn't even suspect it could have been him, why telling him at all?
"Hey, Jack, your dinner's getting cold." Dean's words dragged the Nephilim away from his thoughts. The whole situation made him lose his appetite.
"I'm not really hungry, Daddy..." he mumbled, knowing that he would find a good excuse to explain his state. One thing that Dean was really dedicated to was to make sure that Jack wasn't walking around hungry and wasn't denying himself food. His own childhood brutally showed him what it meant to be concerned about food supplies so he didn't want something like that to happen to his son. So the second he heard the boy not wanting to eat, he got worried.
"Feeling sick?" he asked softly, drawing Castiel's attention as well. While Dean was focused on food, the angel was always the one concentrated on Jack's health which was rather understandable considering that Castiel had limited knowledge about human diseases.
Jack shook his head slightly. "Nuh uh... Just not feeling like eating now."
Both men decided not to dig in. They knew (or rather hoped) that if something was not okay, Jack would tell them.
Before coming back to his room, Jack was informed that if his appetite came back he was welcome to come to either Dean or Castiel to ask for something to eat. It was very kind of them but Jack's current guilt was making him feel even worse. His dads were taking such a good care of him and in return he was just lying into their faces and hiding the truth.
Once Jack closed the door to his room, he crawled up on the bed and found his Scooby plushy to hug tight. For a second, he even thought about calling Uncle Sam and asking him for help or maybe a piece of advice for what to do with the car but he quickly dropped that idea. Doing things behind his dads back was even worse than not telling them the truth. He was in so much trouble. Each passing minute was making his situation worse because the longer he was keeping the car incident a secret, the more dad would be angry once he finds out.
"Well, kid, you have a hell of a problem." Jack jerked, hearing the familiar voice. He didn't think he would hear it ever again. "I don't even want to imagine what Dean will think when he finds out." The boy slowly turned around and almost frozen as he saw Lucifer sitting on his desk, swinging his legs in a childish manner. "No need to call your dads, Jack, they won't see me anyway. Remember?" He patted his scalp with his finger. "I'm only in your head."
The Nephilim hugged Scooby tighter and pulled the knees to his chest. Before, knowing that Lucifer was only a figment of his imagination was everything Jack needed in order to calm his thoughts even slightly, but now, with his 6-year-old mind, he was terrified. The concept of hallucinations or seeing something that didn't exist was quite incomprehensible for him now, so it wasn't making him much difference whether the Lucifer that was grinning at him right now was only in his head or not.
"But it was an accident," Jack whispered, almost embarrassed to admit his recklessness. Miracle, who had been keeping Jack's comany for the whole day, having sensed that something was wrong, growled in Lucifer's direction. Of course, he had no ability to see the pure hallucination, yet something told him his little friend was anxious.
Lucifer smirked, playing with Jack's favourite pen. "You think Dean will take that into consideration?" Jack didn't answer to that but from his eyes it was obvious that he had at least a little hope for that. "Jeez, you're as naive as you were the last time I saw you."
The Devil hopped down the desk and crouched next to the kid's bed. He looked like a monster that ate children, creeping from under the bed. His eyes glowed with that frightening red glow as he stared directly at poor Jack who would blend into the headboard of the bed if he could. Right now, nothing could help him. His powers were almost non-existent since he'd regressed which normally didn't bother him. However, now they would come handy. Dean and Castiel, even if they heard him, would come to his room and see nothing which would only raise more questions and suspicions. There was no way out of the situation.
"Besides," Lucifer continued, not taking his eyes off of Jack. "Killing Mary Winchester was also an accident, right?"
It took Jack's young brain a second to realize what Lucifer was talking about. The memory of one of his worst days flashed in front of him, causing his little body to tremble. The face of Mary was unable to be unseen. Her screams, her touch, her ashes... It was all coming back to Jack with the speed of light. His young brain blocked some of the most violent and unpleasant memories from resurfacing but Lucifer crushed the wall. Bringing up Mary's death he also brought up all the following events. Running away from Sam, Dean and Castiel. The gun aimed at him, held by Dean himself. God killing him. And during all that he felt absolutely nothing. No remorse, no sadness, no scare. The lack of a soul was undoubtfully the worst part of it all.
"But I think I know what you have to do, Jack." Once more, Lucifer's words drew the kid's attention. He didn't even realize that he'd started crying. His dads would have wiped off his tears... but Lucifer remained unbothered. "You should get out of here as soon as possible."
"Get out...?" Jack would have to leave Daddy and Papa? He didn't want to do that. Each time he disappeared from home unnoticed he would make them very worried. That didn't sound like a good plan.
However, the Devil carried on. "Yeah. Dean will soon notice your bicycle." Lucifer poked Jack's chest. "Standing next to the car and he'll connect the dots. And, oh, kiddo, I don't want to be in your skin once he comes to you." As much as the boy didn't want to trust Lucifer, he'd seen Dean getting angry before. Not at him but just in general — fortunately, he didn't remember all those times when Dean would call him a monster or try to hurt him. In fact, the hunter didn't want to remember those times either and he was glad that at least his son was free from them.
"But where do I go?" A subtle smile was forming on Lucifer's face as he realized the boy was falling for his manipulations.
"You'd find some place. Firstly, you have to get out of here. I would start packing if I were you." And with those words, Jack didn't wait any longer.
He took his backpack out of the closet and began grabbing all the things he thought would be necessary. Four pairs of socks, two pairs of pants, one t-shirt, since it was winter so Jack wasn't sweating as much, obviously, two pairs of underwear, pyjamas, his Scooby and crayons. A book that he got from Uncle Sam was laying on the desk, where Lucifer had been previously sitting, and as much as Jack wanted to take it too, his backpack was already filled to the brim. It felt weird to step out of his room, knowing he would never see it again. He remembered when dads let him help making it or rather remaking it since his interests and style had changed after the regression. But now it was over. If he had a bit more time, he would go to the bathroom to grab his toothpaste and toothbrush but that would increase the possibility of being caught. Well, he had to survive without it somehow.
Checking every corridor, Jack made it to the war room where he breathed a sigh of relief, realizing it was empty as well. Slowly, he made his way to the stairs about to hold onto the railing to make his final path to the door.
"And where do you think you're going, mister?" His dad's voice caught him off guard. When he looked up the stairs he spotted Lucifer looking at him with a 'you're screwed' look.
With caution, Jack turned around but refused to look Dean in the eyes. "To the store..." he mumbled out, despite it being a horrible lie.
"Really? Well, then I hope you remembered the rule: no going outside without Papa or me, or without letting us know beforehand," Dean reminded him.
"I told Papa..."
"Should we go and check?" The hunter was too good at catching his son lying. The fact that he wasn't doing it often only made it easier.
Jack only shook his head in response.
Seeing the boy's troubled face and slightly shivering body, Dean took a few steps closer and knelt down so that he was at the same height as his son. He studied him for a bit trying to guess what was the cause of his state.
"Jackie." Jack loved that nickname. "What's wrong?" Dean's strong but gentle hand rubbed his shoulder soothingly. "Are you sick?" No. "Did you hurt yourself?" No. "Did you get scared?" No. Dean sighed. "Buddy, I'm running out of ideas. I could use some help."
For a short while Jack remained silent. Two major thoughts were fighting with each other in his head. One, telling him to just run away, and the other, encouraging Jack to reveal the whole truth and face the consequences, maybe begging his dad not to kick him out. They both were really tempting and Jack's little head couldn't take it anymore.
"You will be mad..." he mumbled and, instantly, Dean knew what it was all about. How could he not notice it earlier?
With a soft sigh, he squeezed Jack's shoulder gently. "Jack, did you damage the car?"
A nod from the boy was followed by tears running down his cheeks. "But it was an accident. I didn't mean to, Daddy, I promise!" he sobbed loudly. The urge to clung to his dad was getting bigger and bigger but it would also feel very inappropriate at the same time. After all, he shouldn't be the one to seek comfort.
"Could you tell me how it happened?" Surprisingly, Dean's voice was really calm despite the circumstances. The hand on Jack's shoulder kept rubbing it slowly not speeding up or hold him tighter.
"It was an accidents, I promise!"
Dean now held Jack with his both hands and steadied slightly. "Jack, I heard it. I'm asking how it happened."
Hearing his dad's gentle voice, the boy let himself calm down a bit so he would be understood better. "I wanted to ride my bike..." he hiccuped. "But it was in the corner next to Baby so I had to—" Another hiccup. "Reach for it. And when I did the pedal scratched the car..." The last part of the sentence was barealy audiable but Dean heard it clearly.
"That... actually makes a lot of sense..." the man nodded. No matter how still frustrated he was with the incident, finding out that Jack was the culprit, lessened the anger. "But what doesn't make sense is why you have your backpack on and why you were about to leave."
Jack, obviously, didn't comment on that. Firstly, he didn't want to worry his dad about the Lucifer thing and, secondly, he was still too embarrassed with the whole situation.
"Jack, look at me."
Eventually, he boy obediently gathered the courage to face his dad. Once more, it surprised him that Dean didn't look at him with anger. In fact, he looked rather... peaceful.
"I thought that you would be very mad... So I had to leave..." The tears that started to fall down Jack's cheek again were gently wiped off by the hunter whose gaze softened, hearing his boy's words.
"Buddy, who told you that?"
Almost, as if Dean had said the most terrifying thing possible, Jack pressed his face against his chest and clung tight onto his dad's shirt. New tears started wetting Dean's clothes but all he could focus was when he heard a quiet 'Lucifer' coming out of Jack's mouth. Immediately, he wrapped his arms around the boy, after taking off his backpack, and held him tight. He knew that Jack didn't mean actual Lucifer but the one that used to appear in his head, telling him all kinds of bullshit. Nonetheless, Dean was furious that the bastard, even as a figment of the boy's imagination, dared to show up and bother his little boy.
The hunter gave Jack some more time to calm down. Soothing moves of his hands on the boy's back seemed to relax him successfully to the point when the crying had died away. Dean held the kid for a bit longer before he pulled back, making them both look at each other.
"Jack, you're more precious to me than all the things in the bunker combined," he said firmly yet gently. His aim wasn't to scare the boy but to make him that he knew how important he was. "I wouldn't want you to leave even if you destroyed the car entirely. But don't try it, of course." Jack let out a slight chuckle. "There's my smiley boy." Dean ruffled his hair playfully. "I'm so sorry that I made you feel like I would be mad at you. I'm not." The kid's body relaxed in a second. "Of course, next time, please, be more careful or call either Papa or me, okay?"
"Okay, Daddy," Jack nodded.
"Good boy." The hunter stood up, stretching his legs. "Now, let's unpack your backpack and eat something. You must be starving." Jack grabbed his dad's hand that led him back to his room. "Tomorrow, we can both work on fixing Baby, what do you think?"
The boy smiled at Dean and nodded eagerly. Accident or not, he really enjoyed helping Daddy around. He felt like a big boy!
"Thanks, Jackie," Dean gave him another smile. "I love you more than anything."
"More than pies?" Jack asked, causing a tickle attacked targeted at him.
"Don't push your luck, little bud."