SPN Fanfic: Learning Curve

[caffienekitty]

Title: Learning Curve
Characters: John, Dean, Sam (From Stanford Era to 1.10, influenced by Season 5 developments)
Rating/Warnings: GEN, PG. This is a little odd, sort of 'moppet-fic' (My Own Personal PEt Theory), so it's probably a little off-canon. Moppet given at the end. ETA: Comments contain Season 5 spoilers.
Word Count: This one, 790-ish.
Beta: The amazing ciaranbochna!
Disclaimer: Not mine, no ownership claimed.
Summary: The source of a message is as, if not more, important than its content.
A/N: The second of likely three otherwise unconnected "Texting with the Winchesters" fics written for pinkfinity and help_haiti.[LJ-only]



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Learning Curve
by CaffieneKitty
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Technology had its uses, John would be more than willing to admit. Right now the use he wanted to put this particular technology to was target practice.

"You hit the number and it goes through the letters above it," said Dean.

John scowled at the tiny phone with its little green screen and keypad that helpfully lit itself up anytime he touched it; glowing in a way that would make a nice bright target in any dark area.

Dean reached over and pointed. "Two is ABC, three is DEF, and so on. Hit three once for D, twice for E-"

The keypad booped cheerily as Dean pushed a button. If there wasn't a way to stop the phone from making noise, John would make one. "What about numbers?" he asked Dean. "Co-ordinates, phone numbers."

"You have to go through all the letters first. Hit the button four times to get to the number. Or sometimes five."

"Sometimes?"

"Some of the keys have four letters instead of three, because of the Z and the Q."

"Great. And exactly why is this better than a pager?"

Dean shrugged. "You can send longer messages, real messages with letters, not just numbers. And a pager would be another thing to pack around. Texting is already built into your new cellphone so if you've got it anyway, why not use it?"

John frowned at the dark grey phone, barely half the length of his hand. He'd used soap that was bigger than this phone. He missed portable phones that were big enough to be used as an emergency bludgeon.

Dean's voice rushed into the conversational vacuum. "I mean we can find a pager if you want a pager, but-"

"It's okay, Dean," John said, tucking the phone away. "I'll make it work."

If not, target practice always remained an option.

-

John and Dean had been working separate hunts for over a month. John had what seemed like a lead on the thing that killed Mary, and there was a possible chupacabra sighting in a rural forested area near Dean. He figured it was as good a time as any to try out texting to send Dean the coordinates.

One, two, three, 3. One, two, three, 8. Uh...

John looked at the keypad. Then looked some more.

How the hell do you make a space? Or a minus sign?

John cleared the message and left the coordinates on Dean's voicemail. He'd figure this text thing out some other time.

-

[42, -89]

"The man can barely work a toaster, Dean."

Dean held back his first three reactions to Sam's statement and proclaimed that John's text message was good news. At least they knew their Dad was alive.

Actually, Dean was also really pleased Dad had figured out how to get punctuation. There was a comma, a space, even a minus sign. Dean hadn't showed him, so he must have figured it out solo. After Sam's toaster crack though, he wouldn't be mentioning it out loud.

-

Sam pulled his greyhound t-shirt on and tried not to look like he was staring. The hotel bathroom mirror reflected Dean's chest and Sam kept sneaking glances, looking for bruises Dean would never admit to. Dean had said at the asylum they didn't need to talk about it, so they weren't talking about it. As usual. He wasn't acting any different around Sam; not much anyway. If anything he was more...

In the bathroom Dean gargled "Highway to Hell".

Yeah. That.

Sam still couldn't believe he'd shot Dean with rock salt, and then pulled the trigger on him several times with something he had no reason to believe wouldn't be lethal. He didn't hate Dean. He sure as hell didn't want to kill him. But he'd pulled the trigger, again and again.

It was like Ellicot had punched a hole in something inside Sam and released... rage. Pure unreasoning rage. Even when he was a kid, Sam sometimes got so frustrated or mad it felt like his head was floating. He still felt like that sometimes, but he'd grown up and got his temper under control. Mostly.

Maybe the ghost hadn't made him angry, maybe it just took away his control. Took away the option to not act on his rage.

Sam frowned. It was just a ghost, messing with my head. Dean knows that. He wasn't any angrier than the next guy, provided the next guy had had his crap life.

The bathroom light flicked off and Dean stepped out, caught Sam staring.

"What? Am I drooling toothpaste?"

"No."

"Stare somewhere else then." Dean got into his bed and flicked off the light.

Sam watched passing headlights slide across the closed curtains. If we ever find Dad, I'll have to thank him for sending us on this stupid haunted insane asylum gig.

I still can't believe Dad texted us a hunt.

- - -
(that's it for this one, one more to go!)

Post A/N: The pet theory being "John wasn't the one who sent the text in 'Asylum'"

Comments

[blackcat333-99.livejournal.com]

Oh, that theory you're playing with here -- that would be FASCINATING if it were true. I love that we can create links with the present canon from the past seasons even if the connections were never intentionally thought through by the writers. The Sam!Angry thing WAS deliberate, so if you want to play with retroactive button-pushing... heck. TPTB are doing this themselves, so I say as long as it doesn't contradict then run with it.

[abrakadabrah.livejournal.com]

Yeah - agree. That's a great use of the data from S,I to interpret the scene in Asylum. Personally, I think it makes more sense that way.

[caffienekitty]

It's been kind of my thought ever since it aired, because if John has a cell phone he can text them from with an unknown number, why at the start of the very next episode does he have to call them from a payphone? And not say a single thing about the case he supposedly just had them working on, even to ask if it was dealt with? I'm thinking it's a supportable theory, and could actually be true. Whether it's ever confirmed in the show or not. ;-)

[caffienekitty]

It does, considering. Looking at season 1 having seen what we have in season 5, all kinds of interesting possibilities pop up. :-)

[irismay42.livejournal.com]

Ooh like the way you've linked the whole "Sam's rage" thing from season 5 back to Asylum in season 1. I'd really not thought of that and found that last scene of Sam, Interrupted kind of forced. But now I think about it...hmm. Yes I definitely see that!

And I do love the idea of John trying to figure out how to send a text! And even more the idea of Dean trying to teach him!

[caffienekitty]

It's a very interesting thing, even in 5.10 with the 'keep feeding that rage' that made the chance that that message wasn't sent by John an even more fascinating possibility than it was when Asylum first aired, because now there's not just the lack of confirmed source, there's another faction that might be very interested in getting Sam to tap his rage.

[irismay42.livejournal.com]

You have a mind almost as devious as Kripke. (And I mean that as a compliment!)

[caffienekitty]

Um... Thanks... XD

[brigid-tanner.livejournal.com]

John frowned at the dark grey phone, barely half the length of his hand. He'd used soap that was bigger than this phone. He missed portable phones that were big enough to be used as an emergency bludgeon. This made me laugh out loud. Then reread and laugh some more.

Interesting observation on Sam's anger, especially in light of Season 5 and his anger issues.

Who do you think sent the hunt if it wasn't John?

[embroiderama]

I love it! You have John clinging to pagers as long as possible and struggling to text!

[caffienekitty]

Who do you think sent the hunt if it wasn't John?

Weeeeell, after what was said by big L in 5.10 regarding Sam's anger, I figure maybe someone on his pre-arrival preparatory team might have seen an advantage in stirring Sam's anger up. ;-)

[malevolent73.livejournal.com]

Ooo, that's fantastic! I really like this theory.

[caffienekitty]

Pagers worked for John for a long while, and given his attitude of "I don't care how it works as long as it just works" I figured it made sense for him. :-)

[caffienekitty]

I've had it for a long time, and it makes more sense now. :-)

[charis-kalos.livejournal.com]

Ooh, interesting thought. I really like this.

And John's struggles with texting are my mother's struggles - but Dean is a much more patient and caring child than I am!

[caffienekitty]

Avoid reading any of the other comments in this post, there are outright spoilers probably up to 5.14

Ooh, interesting thought. I really like this.

I've been thinking it since Asylum aired. It's important to know where orders are coming from. :-)

And John's struggles with texting are my mother's struggles - but Dean is a much more patient and caring child than I am!

It's an interesting generational thing. Kids born in technologically advanced countries after a certain year are considered 'digitally native' Computers, cellphones and communication tech have always been a part of their conscious world, so they don't have any problem picking up changes in technology. Anyone born before then (or in a country where digital technology isn't ubiquitous) doesn't have that lifetime experience, so they have to work harder to adapt to new technologies.

[jensenrick.livejournal.com]

I love this- you really got me thinking about that text. I always did think it was stretch that Dean would get a couple tiny numbers on a text and leap to the conclusion that it was "good news" about Dad. Wishing, much?

[tigriswolf]

*hee* John. SO much like my dad, dude.

[caffienekitty]

Wishful thinking for sure. Grasping at straws.

[caffienekitty]

*pats John*

[samalander-dawn.livejournal.com]

oooooooh, thinky....I like that theory :)

and this of course, definitely like this!

(love the return of the greyhound t-shirt :) )

[caffienekitty]

oooooooh, thinky....I like that theory :)

It's one that I've had since the episode aired, but it seems more logical now than ever.

(love the return of the greyhound t-shirt :) )

Hey, it wath the thirt Tham wath wearing at the end of Athylum. I mean shirt. And Sam. And Asylum. Yeah. Hehe.

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

OMG how did I miss this? (Oh, right, I was off drinking a lot at the SoBe Wine & Food Fest that day!)

It's wonderful and I love how John gets used to some technologies and the boys occasional moments of bafflement at that. Adorable and lovely.