Ch. 1
Once again I'm borrowing the wonderfully talented Ridleys Brotherhood characters.
I thought I'd take a stab at writing a young Winchester's story. It's my version of the back story of how the Winchester's came to be part of the Brotherhood. Unfortunately for me Ridley is putting out her version. But I've had this story for awhile and I just thought I'd put it out there and see how it is received. So please review if you want me to continue.
Sadly I still own nothing. Except for the grades I'm going to make on my Excel project and test and anyone who wants them is welcome to them.
In everyones life, at sometime, our inner fire goes out.
It is then burst into flames with and encounter with another human being.
We should all be thankful for the people who rekindle the inner spirit.
Albert Schweitzer
Doctor Mackland Ames sighed happily has he watched his twelve soon to be thirteen year old foster son ran out Jims kitchen door followed by Jims dog Atticus Finch. Caleb had been showing Mac and Jim plans he had drawn up for a "chamber of solitude" he wanted to build in the woods. The plans had been carefully and meticulously drawn Mac thought possibly by the hand of a budding architect. Caleb had balked when Jim had called it a tree fort he had informed Jim yet again that he would be thirteen in a few days and was far too old for a tree fort.
Mac had never thought that Caleb being expelled from school after only attending for a month could be a good thing. But he had to admit this little vacation to Jims was just what they needed. This was the most relaxed and happy Mac could remember seeing Caleb since he had come to live with him. From the first time he laid eyes on Caleb Reaves he had felt an unexplainable and irrational need to protect the kid. The problem was Caleb didn't want to be protected he was twelve going on thirty or so he thought. Caleb was arrogant and cocky he was also lost and broken Mac knew in his heart that Caleb needed Mac as badly as Mac needed Caleb.
Mac still had to wonder what the Guardian had been thinking. He had only been in psychiatry for a little over a year and he wasn't even a practicing psychiatrist. He's specialty was neurosurgery he had only taken up psychiatry because he thought it might help him to relate better to patients if he could understand what they were going through mentally and emotionally. Mackland couldn't understand how Jim expected him to help this Winchester boy when he didn't even know how to help the boy he hoped to make his son. John Winchester had been referred to Jim by Missouri Mosley the man's wife had been murdered by a demon and he wanted answers. Winchester also had two young sons the oldest of which had been severely traumatized by his mother's death and had withdrawn into a shell. Winchester and his sons where due to arrive at the farm around supper time Mac just hoped he could find away to help both boys.
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Two weeks earlier
Mackland sat in his office practicing breathing techniques trying to erase the devastated faces of the parents of his last patient from his mind. He hated having to deliver bad news to any patient's family but it was hundred times when that patient was a child.
"Dr. Ames?" Naomi voice coming through the intercom interrupted Mac's thoughts.
Mac groaned he knew Naomi wouldn't disturb him unless it was important.
"Yes Naomi"
"I'm sorry to bother you but I have the principal of Caleb's school on line two."
"Thank you Naomi I'll take it."
"Principal Hynes what can I do for you?"
"Dr. Ames I'm sorry to bother you but there has been a problem with Caleb."
"Is Caleb alright?" Mac felt his heart speed up.
"Yes sir he's fine I didn't mean to worry you. It seems Caleb became upset with his English teacher and decided the best way to deal with it was to curse her out."
Mac barely kept the groan from escaping his lips.
"Mr. Hynes I can't began to tell you how sorry I am. I assure you I will deal with the issue as soon as I get home."
"Actually I need you to come and pick Caleb up I've suspended him for the rest of today and tomorrow."
Mac closed his eyes and focused on his breathing.
"I'm on my way," Mackland said, hanging up the phone.
By the time Mackland pulled up in front of the school he was seeing red. He just couldn't figure this kid out Mac had felt an instant connection with Caleb and he had truly thought Caleb had felt it too. But now he wasn't so sure Caleb was deifying him at every turn. He just couldn't get through Reaves well honed defenses.
As soon as Ames walked into the school office he had no trouble finding his foster son sulking in the corner.
"Let's go son." Caleb grabbed up his book bag and sulked pasted Mac.
Mac found Caleb leaning against his suv waiting on him.
"Caleb talk to me. Why did you curse your English teacher?"
If Mac hadn't been looking he would have missed the shrug of the shoulders and the muffled yawn. Mac knew the boy hadn't been sleeping well every night since he had come to live with Mac he had woken up screaming. He'd refused all of Mac's efforts to comfort him.
On the silent ride from the school Mac decided to stop and pick up Chinese food for supper.
Once they reached the apartment Caleb threw down his book bag and stormed back to his room. Mackland was at the end of his rope he didn't know what else to do picking up the kitchen phone he dialed Jims' number.
"Hello"
"Jim its Mac I'm at my wits end I don't know what to do."
"What's happen?"
"Caleb got suspended today for cussing a teacher. Jim I don't know what to do he's becoming more defiant everyday he's having terrible nightmares and he want tell me what there about. I thought I could reach him I thought I could help him but he's slipping further away everyday and I can't stop it. He might be better off with somebody else."
Caleb leaned up against the wall outside the kitchen listening to Mac talk on the phone.
He blinked hard trying to rid himself of the prickling feeling that was building up behind his eyes. Caleb had been coming to help Mac set the dinner table as a kind of peace offering but if this was the way Mac wanted it then fine he knew it couldn't last. He'd make sure he was gone before morning. Caleb silently slipped back down the hallway to his room.
After several minutes Mac finally broke the silence.
"Jim aren't you going to say something?"
"What would you like me to say Mackland it sounds like you've already made up your mind. I mean you've had the boy all of what two weeks now. I'm sure you two know each other's deepest darkest secrets by now, and it's most certainly enough time for you to have worked through his life time of trauma and trust issues."
"Are you always so infuriatingly rational?" Mac ran a tired hand through his hair.
"You're being too hard on yourself Mackland. Like it or not you're only human and Caleb is scared to death that you're going to decide you don't want him anymore so he is intentionally pushing you away."
"I know he's trying to make a self fulfilling prophecy come true. He's decided that I'm not going to keep him so he's trying to force me into returning him to Social Services." Mackland sat down hard in a kitchen chair. "I had to tell the parents of a four year old child today that their baby has an inoperable cancerous brain tumor. I just wanted to pick Caleb up from school maybe pick up a pizza, rent a movie, and then help Caleb with his homework and just relax and enjoy having a healthy child."
"It will happen my friend just give it time. I'm sorry about your patient it's always so much worse when it's a little one. Get some rest you sound tried."
"Thanks Jim we'll see you in a couple of weeks."
Ames set the table and then walked down the hall to Caleb's room. After knocking on the door and receiving no answer Mac pushed the door open. The room light was off but light from the hallway showed a lump curled up underneath the covers.
'What in the world?'
Crossing over to Caleb's bed side Mackland turned on the lamp.
"Caleb?"
"Caleb are you ok?"
Growing concerned at the lack of a response Mac pulled back the covers to find Caleb curled up in a tight ball his eye scrunched tightly closed.
"Caleb?"
"Leave me alone," Caleb said, through gritted teeth.
"Are you hurting somewhere?"
"Go away!"
Mac sat down on the bed beside Caleb.
"Caleb I'm not going anywhere remember I promised you that when you said you'd come live with me."
The kid was obviously in pain Mac knew he had to find out where so he could help.
"I'll be right back." Mac patted Calebs leg before getting up.
When Mac came back into the room Caleb had pulled the cover's back over him.
"Caleb please tell me where you're hurting so I could help you."
Caleb suddenly sat up and Mac heard gagging noises coming from under the covers. Mac quickly grabbed the trashcan from beside the bed and pulled the covers off of Caleb's head. Mac held the trash can with one hand and rubbed Caleb's back with the other. After Caleb finished emptying the contents of his stomach into the trash can groaning he grabbed his head and fell over on the pillows.
Mac ran a hand over Caleb's head Caleb flinched but didn't pull away.
'He's got a severe headache most likely tension.' Mac got a cup of water out of the bathroom and a Tylenol out of his bag.
"Caleb I know you're in pain I'm going to help you sit up so you can take some Tylenol to help with the pain."
To Mac's great surprise Caleb allowed himself to be helped into a sitting position. Caleb took the medicine and Mackland helped him settle back down on the bed. The doctor began to gently message the tense muscles in Caleb's neck and shoulders. The tense muscles were like rocks knotted and hard beneath Mac's fingers. Caleb groaned as Mac messaged a particularly sore area on his neck.
"Just breathe son try to relax you're safe here."
The muscles that had just began to relax suddenly tensed back up.
'What did I say?'
Mac continued his message long after Caleb had fallen asleep. 'The poor kid feels like he's carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.' Kicking off his shoes Mac put his feet up on the bed he had the feeling he might be needed tonight.
Mac wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep when the sound of soft sobbing woke him.
"Caleb please talk to me." Mac knew he was pleading he wanted to help this boy so badly it hurt.
Caleb sat up and turned to face Mac his face was tear streaked and his eyes were puffy and red he had obviously been crying for sometime before Mac woke up.
"Please don't send me away I promise I'll be good." Caleb didn't know why but this was where he belonged and he didn't want to leave.
Mac's brow creased in confusion and then sudden he realized Caleb must have heard his rant on the phone.
"Caleb I'm not sending you anywhere you're staying right here with me unless of course you want to leave."
Caleb shook his head long hair flopping.
"But you said on the phone…"
"Caleb son I never meant for you to over hear that I was just venting my frustrations. I'd had a really bad day but that was no excuse for me to say the things that I did. I'm sorry."
Mac was pleasantly surprised when Caleb leaned against the headboard and rested his shoulder against Macs.
"You should try to go back to sleep."
"I don't want to."
"Are you afraid of the dreams?"
"I'm not afraid of anything." Mac felt Caleb tense beside him.
'Shit I said the wrong thing. Why can't I seem to say the right things to him.'
"Do you want to tell me about them?"
"No" Caleb felt guilty at the hurt look on the man's face Mac had been so good to him and he was acting like an asshole.
"I'm not ready." Caleb's voice was a whisper if Mac hadn't been listening he would have missed it.
"Ok but when you are I'll be here."
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Mac believed that Caleb truly had tried harder until he got into the fight that had gotten him expelled from school. Caleb's nightmares had even gotten better until they had arrived at the farm. But this nightmares where different from his other ones these sounded more like a vision to Mac. Caleb would wake up screaming babbling about yellow eyes, a fire, a little boy, and a baby. Mac was pulled from his musings by the ringing of the door bell.
