Rites of Passage

By Tidia

Disclaimer: Eric Kripke for creating Supernatural and Ridley for creating The Brotherhood

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Chapter 4/4

Joshua listened intently, trying not to let the passing scenery lull him to sleeps. Although just as he was about to doze off, Caleb would hit an exposed tree branch or rock. Sawyer knew the psychic did it on purpose so the travois would skip and Joshua would pay attention to the story. But, it passed the time and they were almost to the car.

Sawyer also knew this was his opportunity to get answers to his almost twenty year old questions. He wanted to shift his position, but was unable to, instead just lifting his head slightly. "Why didn't you turn us in? You owed us no loyalty and Jim would have believed you."

Caleb slowed his pace for a moment. "'cause I thought we were on the same side. And there were other people to think about."

Reaves had always shown loyalty to The Brotherhood. He was the ideal member, believing in the cause wholeheartedly. It made him an excellent choice for a Knight. There was one more question Joshua wanted answered to satisfy his curiosity. "What did Ian say to you for your silence?"

Caleb chuckled. He stopped and turned, wiping the sweat from his brow. "We're here. The truck's up ahead."

Joshua glanced around. They were close to a road. "Truck?" His car would be more comfortable. "What about the Mercedes?"

"I'll send a tow truck back for it." Caleb put a hand out to assist Joshua.

"Tow truck?" Sawyer wavered as he balanced on one foot, careful not to put any undo pressure on the broken leg. Caleb looped an arm under his shoulder and they walked forward. "It better be a flat bed." It was only twenty feet to where the truck was parked, visible as they exited the tree line. "And you didn't answer my question." Joshua huffed. His body was not enjoying the standing position, or walking for that matter.

Reaves shook his head. "I thought you were smart, Josh."

Sawyer frowned. There was only one thing which would guarantee Reaves's silence. "Ian threatened Dean and Sam."

Caleb lifted his finger, signaling Joshua had come to the right answer on the first try. "And I couldn’t, wouldn’t risk it."

Joshua knew his actions showed an indifference to the Winchester brothers, but they were children at the time. "I would never have let Ian do anything to the boys."

"Maybe, depends on the circumstance though, doesn’t it?" Caleb snorted. "And you didn't always hunt with Ian. I couldn’t take the chance."

Joshua accepted the insult. It was true. Sawyer had a streak of self-preservation, and couldn’t deny that back then he was looking out for himself. But then, there was another solution. "You could have told Jim, he would have taken their rings away."

The psychic's eyebrow rose in reaction. "Would have made matters worse." Caleb got a better grip on the injured hunter when he faltered. "We all got past it and Johnny and Bobby got me the Jeep."

Joshua tried not to wince as Caleb's manhandling brushed against a bruise. "Do they know?"

"About what happened? Yes." They had reached the truck, and Caleb rested Joshua against it. "About the threat? No."

"That explains Dean's outright hostility towards me." Joshua waited while the psychic found his car keys.

"You bring it upon yourself, you know." Reaves opened the passenger side door of the Chevy.

"Yes, by saving his life, creating new identities and papers. . . " The Chevy sat high up, Joshua used his arms to pull himself up and in. He closed his eyes, and rested for a moment, feeling his body quivering.

Within a minute Reaves was in the driver seat, having thrown their packs in the back of the pickup.

Joshua didn't want the psychic to realize how poorly he was feeling. He kept up the revealing conversation. "I remember Julian Smith, the old Guardian. The last Guardian who actually liked me."

Caleb laughed as he quickly started the truck and pulled away from the side of the road. "Jim liked you, man."

"Jim tolerated me." Joshua noted the cross hanging from the rearview mirror. Caleb and the pastor had a deep connection.

Reaves drove with one hand. "Pity party, Sawyer?"

"Just stating the facts." Joshua rested his head back and placed a hand over the cut on his side. It had started to throb again, the pack he applied earlier having run its course.

"Tolerated you?" Caleb glanced at the injured hunter. "You were one of his boys."

The blond hunter turned his head, and gave a tight smile. "No, he made that abundantly clear when you were in the hospital and I was waiting outside." He turned his head back and closed his eyes as he told Caleb the rest of the story.

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Joshua noticed when someone walks into an ER carrying a bleeding teen they receive prompt service. John Winchester's barking orders and Bobby's scowl helped matters along. Joshua knew his presence wasn't wanted. It was made clear on the high speed car ride to the local medical facility. The blond hunter spied the waiting room littered with people with varying degrees of sickness and wounds, and tried to find a place away from the germ infestation. He sat next to a woman holding a bandage on her hand, injuries preferable to illness.

He watched as Caleb was rested on a gurney and whisked to the trauma area. A half an hour later, Bobby came out, looked around and found him. Singer walked over. "The doctor wants to know what happened." Bobby stated, and forcibly made him stand by placing a hand under his arm. It would be another bruise. He had been rubbing his sore neck wondering if there were marks.

Bobby escorted Joshua to a room. The blond expected to see John and Caleb waiting, but neither were in the room.

"He's getting x-rayed." Bobby said to explain the disappearance. "Kelly? Can you get the doctor?" Singer called out to a nurse passing by.

Head down, the harried doctor entered the curtained area with a clipboard. "Can you tell me what happened to Caleb Reaves?"

Joshua found the lie easy enough. It had to be plausible. "We were hiking and it was my fault." Sawyer licked his lips. A lie also had to be close to the truth. It was easier to remember. "I distracted him. He didn’t see the tree root and then tripped, and just kept tumbling."

The doctor scribbled some notes. "Looks like he hit every rock he came in contact with."

"I promptly tended to his injuries with my first aid kit, but we thought the hospital was best." Joshua finished because he wanted them to look responsible and capable men. To show them all in a good light.

The doctor nodded, and Bobby took that as a dismissal. He brought him to the ER doors, which would lead to the waiting room.

"Quite a story, Slick. You've got your pappy's talent." Singer snorted, and then turned his back on the young hunter.

Joshua had no retort except silence and returned to the waiting room. Sawyer spent the rest of the night following Winchester and Singer around the hospital until the teen was finally situated in his own private room. Joshua wasn't invited inside. He was hunched over in a plastic chair with his head resting in his hands, contemplating.

He was jealous of Caleb Reaves. Reaves worshipped the cause. Joshua, at twenty years old was disillusioned. He stopped believing the stories about honor and courage within The Brotherhood. It was a job and he didn't want to die in the course of his employment. It was a trait he shared with his father. Harland Sawyer enjoyed the prestige of being a hunter, being one of the few, but wouldn't give his life for it. The Sawyers believed in self preservation.

Hunting was physically demanding with no off season and it exacted a cost. Joshua was forced to examine the hidden recesses of his soul to find he was always alone, his emotions in compartments stored away. Joshua did what was expected and felt lucky he was able to have a normal existence. Men like John Winchester scared him-devoted to the hunt beyond all reason.

Joshua Sawyer was reasonable. He knew his limits, and his abilities.

He noticed two sets of well worn sneakers in front of him. He straightened up and saw the Winchester boys. Dean and Sam, holding hands, waiting for Joshua to greet them, and when he didn't they ignored him. He did the same; uncomfortable around the children in the best of circumstances and knowing they could sense it.

Pastor Jim followed close behind, and placed a hand on Dean's shoulder. "Go ahead boys. Room 322." Jim pointed to the room. "I'll be right there."

Joshua stood up to greet the pastor, and also to show The Guardian a sign of respect.

Jim watched the boys enter the room before he acknowledged the blond hunter. "Your father will be here shortly."

Sawyer nodded. His father was the last person he wanted to see. Joshua had failed to get a coveted ring. Harland believed his son would get one earlier than Ian and Fisher due to his ex-wife's cordial relationship with The Guardian. "I should probably wait for him outside."

Pastor Jim put his hand up to halt the young hunter. "Joshua, I would like to speak to you." He gestured to the plastic chairs, and Joshua took the seat he had just vacated.

Jim sat next to him, and turned to face the younger hunter. "Ian and Fisher said it was a poltergeist, that Caleb became separated and then attacked. Do you agree?"

And Joshua Sawyer had his defining moment in life. He chose to follow the lie, and commit to it.

"Yes."

The pastor knitted his hands together and looked down at them. "Are you sure?"

"I'm. . .I'm sure." He wavered for a moment because once he accepted it; he would believe it and rewrite history to that effect.

Harland Sawyer came striding through the swinging doors. He waved at his son, motioning him to disengage from Jim.

The pastor turned around and noticed Harland, giving him a curt nod. "Very well." Jim sighed, stood up, and looked down at the young hunter. "I'm disappointed, Joshua."

And suddenly Joshua felt nauseous. Jim was a commanding presence, and it was when he spoke quietly it was more profound than angry words.

"Joshua, now." Harland snapped his finger and had raised his voice.

Joshua looked between the two influential men in his life. He was caught between two worlds- making his father proud or making Jim proud. It looked like he would come out the loser.

"Please don't tell my mother," he whispered to Jim and then walked quickly down the hall to meet his father. Harland gave him a push forward, and they exited the hospital.

His father never spoke of the incident and didn't ask any questions. Joshua assumed Ian and Fisher had filled Harland in, and worse he had approved the action. Harland returned him to William and Mary, speaking only of his successful hunt with Silas.

The school was desolate with classes over, but Harland would never drive Joshua to Esme's home. Joshua made it home, and pursued an internship at a prestigious PR agency. He could hide in normalcy for awhile.

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After an hour of driving the 'H' signs were visible and providing some guidance. Reaves had remained stubbornly silent. Sawyer licked his lips, having shared the story he felt the same nausea assail him. "I'll give him credit. He never mentioned it to my mother." He was thankful. His mother had been daughter of a Knight. Joshua looked like a Sawyer, and wondered if all the honorable Madrigal genes had bypassed him completely.

With one hand Caleb opened the arm rest and passed Joshua a bottle of water. "So Esme never knew."

The blond hunter fumbled with the cap at first. "No, but actions speak louder than words." He took a swallow of the warm water, and methodically put the cap in place.

"What actions?" Caleb glanced at Joshua, and then depressed the gas pedal speeding them along.

Sawyer wanted to laugh; surprised the psychic didn't put together all the pieces. Caleb had been fond of Jim's puzzles.

"The ring."

Joshua placed a hand over his eyes. His headache was getting worse. "And there are those that question your intelligence." His father had been disappointed when Joshua's ring never materialized. Their relationship deteriorated. He only saw his father a few times a year from that time forward, reminding Joshua he was a lesser son, man and hunter. Sawyer cleared his throat. "Do you have the Jeep in storage in New York?"

Caleb frowned. "That re-directing doesn’t work with me. You don't have the gift for it."

Joshua propped an elbow against the window, but that was uncomfortable so he dropped it. "I made my bed. He gave me the opportunity to tell the truth, and I didn't take it."

"But, nothing happened to Ian and Fisher." Both of Caleb's hand curled on the steering wheel. The cross on the rearview mirror danced as they drove. "It means that Jim held a grudge and he didn't seem the type-"

Joshua chuckled. It was hard when heroes fell off their pedestals, but there was always a realization sooner or later. The members of The Brotherhood were not heroes, they were men that wanted to hold themselves out to a higher level, but Joshua had lost faith in them a long time ago. "Where you boys were concerned he was most certainly the type."

"Favoritism?" Caleb scoffed. "Jim wasn't like that."

"Don’t be naïve." Joshua learned long ago that Jim and Harland were human with the same frailties and vices. Harland definitely had more vices then Jim. "Everyone's like that. I chose to side with my friends."

Caleb pursed his lips. "Don’t get why you’re still friends."

"'Friends' is such a loose term. Some would say we’re friends." He had hunted with all of them on some occasion or another. They were in The Brotherhood, and maybe that created the assumption of friendship. They really didn't know him at all, and Joshua preferred it.

"You're right." Reaves snorted. "It is a loose term."

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Caleb allowed Josh to doze off, knowing the hospital was only fifteen minutes away. He couldn’t get there fast enough, wanting primarily to get medical attention for Sawyer, but also needing to get some space between them.

He pulled up to the hospital ER entrance and jumped out of the truck.

"I need some help here." He called out, and gave a curt wave to an orderly.

The psychic opened the passenger door and squeezed Sawyer's forearm to wake him. "We're here, and I know you want to make a big entrance."

"What?" Joshua shifted his body, his legs hanging out of the truck. He put his feet down and would have crumpled to the ground if Caleb hadn’t held him up.

"I gotcha." He looked over his shoulder and could see the orderly was returning with a wheelchair.

"What happened to him?" The orderly asked as he pulled up the wheelchair and helped Joshua get situated.

"Wild animal attack in the mountains. . ." Joshua said with his head bent forward.

Caleb nodded in agreement. "He got clipped by it on his side-its still bleeding, and his leg is broken. He could have a concussion too."

The orderly whisked Joshua inside and to the triage area. Caleb didn't step through the doors into the ER. He moved the truck from the entrance to a parking spot, and got of the truck. While making his way to the emergency room he pulled out his cellphone and went through 'Received Calls' to get the number he wanted.

Carolyn answered on the first ring. "Did you find him? I thought you would have called earlier? I almost called your father. . ." Her speech picked up speed.

Although it was rude to interrupt, it seemed the only way Caleb was going to get through to the researcher. "Carolyn, I found Josh and-"

"Joshua."

"Right, Joshua." Reaves rakes his fingers through his hair. "We're at the hospital-"

"Hospital? What did you do to him? I will call your father-"

Caleb frowned at the phone. He didn't like the implication or the threat. "I found him that way!" The psychic raised his voice then brought his frustration under control. He had been doing Carolyn the favor, and she seemed to be forgetting that. "Whatever he was investigating attacked him. I had to carry his heavy ass down the mountain."

"Oh, well, will he be okay?" Carolyn now spoke normally, realizing she shouldn't be yelling at Caleb.

"Yeah, he's going to be fine." It was just Reaves's deduction, but Josh didn't have any life threatening injuries. Plus, Carolyn was supposed to be Ian's girlfriend, but it seemed her interests with Sawyer. "Can you call Harland?" He had been the backup, and protocol was that he should be contacted.

There was a pause, signaling Carolyn was uncomfortable. It seemed she had two speeds rambling and awkward. "I can try."

"Well, I have to get going-" He was at the entrance to the ER and knew he would have to shut off his cellphone.

"I'm glad to see what the others say about you isn’t true. Thank you." Carolyn retorted and then there was dial tone.

Caleb blinked. Even though he heard the dial tone he still spoke into the phone. "Others? What? Hey!" That was it. Once he got back to New York he was going to ask his father about his 'Geek Squad,' and he also had to an insider to fill him in on the gossip. Maybe Allison would be willing to help. Caleb shook his head and slipped his cellphone in his pocket.

He went inside the emergency room. The attendant gave him a smile and he reciprocated. Good looks did open doors. He noted her name. "Vanessa, I just brought my cousin in, Joshua Sawyer. Can you find out about him?" He added in the familial relationship, knowing the lie would help him gain information about Josh.

She beamed a smile again at Caleb's use of her first name. "I'll check on him. Have a seat."

Vanessa kept him waiting for over an hour, making multiple trips to the trauma area before someone came out with her. "Person here for Joshua Sawyer?" It was a doctor and Vanessa pointed to Caleb and then returned to her desk.

Caleb met the doctor and was ushered a little off to the side.

"Hi, I'm Doctor Kalinpur. Your---

"Cousin, maternal side, like second cousins, maybe third in fact. . ." Caleb added on because if he was going to go with cousins as an excuse then he didn’t want to be related to Harland.

The doctor ignored Caleb's profuse explanation. "We already explained to Mr. Sawyer he needs surgery. Orthopedics has been paged and they are making arrangements."

"Surgery?" Reaves was surprised.

"Broken tibia. The orthopedic consult said to stabilize with screws to stabilize the bone." The doctor used his pen to symbolize the metal rod.

"And his other injuries?" Reaves wondered if they had found internal bleeding. Joshua had been battered by the creature.

"Mild concussion, the temperature seems more the result of the trauma than an infection. There are some contusions, but seems like no internal bleeders. The wound on his side requires suturing as does the head wound. Mr. Sawyer is waiting for a plastic surgeon. . ." The doctor explained, looking at his notes.

"Couldn’t you do it?" Caleb was worried about blood loss, and wondered if he should call Mac, the only doctor who seemed to be capable.

"I could," the doctor shifted onto one foot then the other. "But those aren’t the patient's wishes."

Caleb rolled his eyes, understanding completely. "Josh is a pretty boy."

"Excuse me?" The doctor has missed the statement.

The psychic was not going to explain that in their line of work, scars were de facto. However, Sawyer went out of his way to remain unmarred. "Anything else?"

"We are running some tests. But he is alert and that is always a good sign." The doctor gave a curt nod. "I'll have the nurse tell you when they are ready to move him."

Caleb went back outside and scrolled through his phone numbers. He had to call Esme, Joshua's mother; this wasn't going to be a simple in and out.

He returned outside rifling through his belongings to bring out an address book. He found Esme's cellphone number and called. After three rings he thought it was going to voicemail when an out of breath voice answered.

"Yes? Esme Madrigal speaking, who's calling?"

"Esme, it's Caleb."

Instead of a reply, Esme had a coughing fit. A few throat clearings and she was able to respond. "Caleb, this is an unexpected surprise. Something I can help you with?"

Reaves glanced suspiciously at the phone. He could have sworn he had heard a familiar voice through the coughing fit. "Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"No, no." She cleared her throat again, and spoke calmly. "You know I always have time for you."

Caleb rubbed his chin. He hated to be the bearer of bad news. "It's about Joshua."

"Caleb?" Esme's tone was sharp. "What's happened?"

"He's fine," the psychic assured her. "But he's in the hospital."

"What happened? Can I talk to him?"

Caleb thinned his lips. At least Joshua was lucky to have one caring parent-like the rest of them. Caleb had never noticed the commonality. Dean and Sam had John and Caleb had Mac. Granted, Harland was still living, but his current actions showed him to be an absentee father. "He's in the ER right now. He was doing some recon and was attacked. He's got a broken leg, and some scratches." Reaves didn't want to go into the contusions and bruising. "The doctor said he's going to be fine, but I thought you would want to know."

"Thank you, Caleb." She sounded a little relieved. "I'll make arrangements to be there as soon as possible. Tell him I love him."

"I will." Reaves smirked. He would not convey that personal message. Esme could tell her son in person. Then it seemed as though he momentarily lost his senses, still focusing on the familiar voice he had heard in the background. "Umm, Esme ahhh. . ." Caleb was going to read her, but her emotions over Joshua made him rethink the idea.

"Is there something else?" Her voice rose again with anguish. "Something you're not telling me? Please Caleb, I need to know."

Caleb winced. This was a completely inappropriate time. He reined himself in.

"No, no, just have a good flight. I may not be here when you get here." He gave her the hospital's information. He closed the phone, then thought about calling his father. However, if Mac and Esme were together then he didn't want to know-TMI.

Caleb shuddered and returned to the ER ready to take up a seat in the waiting room, but Vanessa beckoned him. He smiled at her; the day would not be a total loss. He would get a date with the lovely Vanessa.

But, instead of her phone number she handed him a clipboard. "We need someone to fill these out."

"Only if you'll go for coffee with me when your shift is over."

She giggled. "Sure."

Caleb sighed; glad he hadn't lost his touch. He had removed Josh's wallet from his backpack to give to the blond hunter. As he opened the billfold he felt as though he was intruding, learning personal information. He had worked jobs with Joshua, and was in more contact with him than Ian and Fisher combined. Sawyer was his personal Picasso, forging documents, which had saved Caleb on many occasions.

But Caleb knew little about Joshua, just what he had garnered through Jim. Joshua's grandfather, Maxim had been The Knight. Maxim was killed in a non supernatural event when Josh was young. Had he lived, then in all probability Joshua would have gained a higher place within The Brotherhood, and Harland's esteem.

However, that was never going to happen. Caleb was The Knight elect. Strange that a supernatural event changed the course of his life.

The insurance card was slipped conspicuously in the forefront. Reaves pulled it out and began to complete the forms.

He'd done it too many times for the Winchesters, but never for Josh. Sawyer didn't have anyone watching his back, so he was extra careful, probably what led him to be quasi scar free. Dean and Sam had each other and Caleb had them but Joshua wasn’t tied to anyone.

Reaves now understood. This is what bothered Dean. The lack of a link made Joshua an uncertain factor for the older Winchester sibling coupled with Sawyer's need to impress Harland. It brought shades of doubt onto Josh's character and his loyalty.

Caleb believed in The Brotherhood and what it stood for. He only hoped Joshua felt the same and realized he could gain more respect with his actions.

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Joshua licked his dry lips, trying to work out the stickiness in his mouth. He felt someone squeezing his forearm.

"Mr. Sawyer? Mr. Sawyer?"

Joshua forced his eyes open, expecting to see his father and having to explain why he was sleeping. Instead a pretty blonde woman in purple scrubs with a name tag of Tally was standing over him.

"You're in recovery. The surgery went well."

He closed his eyes again, the memories returning. He had to have surgery to set the leg with screws. His other choice was a longer hospital stay with a halo around his leg keeping the bone stabilized. He opted for the surgery, because the other option would have him away from hunting, and gain his father's already growing displeasure. He opened his eyes again, Tally remaining by him. He glanced down at his bandaged leg. He attempted to wiggle it. It didn't move.

"We gave you a spinal. Remember?"

"Sorry, yes, I remember. Thank you, Tally." He would send her a gift. The female researchers of The Brotherhood liked when he sent them little tokens of his appreciation. He usually sent them something from his mother's shop. In this way he was not alienated, and gained some allies, a necessity when he was on his own on some hunts.

"We'll move you to a room in a little while and then get you situated with some more pain meds. Okay?"

"Okay, Tally." Joshua nodded, and gave her a tentative smile. He used her name again so he would remember it in his anesthesia hazed mind.

He didn't know how much time had elapsed before his gurney was rolled down the hall and into the elevator. They entered the room, and asked him to shift over to the hospital bed, which he did with the orderlies' assistance.

Settled in, his leg cushioned in foam, and the IV hung, he was surprised to see Caleb Reaves sitting in the chair watching him. "You didn't have to wait around." Joshua had expected the other hunter to have left since his duty had been performed. There was no further obligation. "A quick stay here and some physical therapy and I'll be on the trail of Lobster girl no time flat."

Caleb gestured with his chin to the bandaged leg. "The doctor said you were looking at eight weeks-minimum."

"I'm a fast healer." He would push himself and be an above average patient.

Caleb nodded and pursed his lips. "I called your mother and filled her in on the surgery and the stitches. . ."

Sawyer fumbled for the remote control of the bed, and sat the bed up as far as it could go. "You called my mother?" He did not want his mother to worry. "And what doctor released all that information to you?"

Reaves shrugged, ignoring the injured hunter's threatening tone. "Of course I called your mom, my aunt. We're cousins, distant cousins, but they weren't really interested in the details. . . and you were down some blood and I offered, but they said they didn’t need it. . . "

Joshua wiped down his mouth. To think the hospital staff now thought he was related to Caleb Reaves. "Thank God for small miracles. But my mother?"

"She's coming down on the first flight she can get." Caleb grinned. "Anything else I can do?"

"I think you have done quite enough." Joshua crossed his arm, and felt the bandage under his hospital issued gown. "The stitches were done by a plastic surgeon? Correct?" He was sure he had requested one, but couldn’t be sure if the request was honored.

"Yes, princess, you won't scar." Caleb stood up and got closer to the bed. "Sure you don't want me to check on Pru?"

The torture he expected from Reaves had returned, and it was pleasant to have their normal animosity. "Pru's fine." His Bengal cat, a cross between a domestic cat and an Asian leopard had cost him over $1,000 and had the best of everything. "I have an automatic feeder and litter cleaner set up. But, my car?" He hoped the Mercedes was still not in the woods.

"Your car has been towed and is in the hospital parking lot." Caleb lifted the keys from the pocket of his jeans and placed them on the nightstand near the pitcher of water.

"Did you make sure they didn't scratch it?" Joshua sighed at the Mercedes insignia keychain.

Caleb snorted. "Deuce isn’t the only one with a car fetish."

"You cannot compare a Mercedes to anything. . ."

Reaves shook his head. "It looked fine in the dark; I put your pack in the trunk for safe keeping."

He was surprised at Caleb's presence of mind. The herbs were important and would actually help his healing process. And Reaves still had not left. "You can leave. I'm sure that the future Guardian and Scholar are running amuck of something."

"Yeah, I should get going." Caleb took a step back, then paused. "How come you never walked away from all this? You could have easily, especially when you didn't get the ring."

Joshua exhaled sharply in disbelief. "Be serious."

"What?" Caleb frowned.

Sawyer laughed. Truly, The Knight was naïve. "My grandfather was The Knight, my maternal side are crafters, and my father is a second generation hunter. It's the family business. There was never really a choice." It was strange The Brotherhood was a normal existence to him; part of what he did like public relations. It didn't make him special or important.

"Jim used to say he wished we had choices." Caleb rubbed his chin. "But, I think The Brotherhood chooses you instead."

“Perhaps.” Joshua couldn’t recall when he had heard the calling. He found himself again admiring Caleb's earnestness with regards to The Brotherhood. He looked down at the blankets covering him and then at Reaves again. He cleared his throat, and put his hand out. “I appreciate the help, Caleb."

Reaves grinned, realized the effort and accepted the hand. "Anytime, Josh."

Joshua winced at the nickname, but didn't correct the other hunter. "You know this doesn’t mean we've bonded or anything. Keep your father away from my mother."

"Keep your mother away from my father."

Joshua folded his arms, holding his ground. Esme was not chasing after Mackland Ames, and he would not have it insinuated. "He behaves like a love-sick schoolboy. It’s embarrassing."

Reaves mimicked the same action, and crossed his arms. “Esme is older than him.”

Sawyer’s scowl deepened. His mother was a beautiful woman, and this conversation was leading into dangerous territory. "Do you really want to go there?"

Caleb relaxed his arms and shook his head. "No, no. It's like fishing off the company pier. Isn't it?"

Joshua nodded, liking Caleb's analogy. They had many differences, but they agreed their parents didn't belong together even though the researchers were telling him something was going on between the two. Joshua dismissed it as unsubstantiated rumors. Sawyer grimaced. "Can you imagine ever being related?"

"God, no," Caleb answered, then turned the silver ring on his finger. "I gotta go. Good luck with the recuperating."

Joshua glanced at his ring too. "Thanks, hope you and the other two Stooges are able to stay out of trouble." And with that Joshua relaxed back into the bed, closing his eyes. Sure, Caleb had probably given him a middle finger salute, but he had gotten the last word in.

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