Disclaimer: I think it goes without saying, but just to be on the safe side...I do not own anything Supernatural related (characters, plot, impala, etc.). I just really love Destiel Fanfiction, and decided to write one of my own. So I will say it again; As much as it pains me to say it, I do not own anything Supernatural related. Alas, the tropes that I love are not even originally mine.

Trigger Warning: Please note that the issues and therapy discussed in this fanfiction are completely fabricated from my own mind. I am just doing what I think sounds good...so please do not take anything here as the gospel when it comes to therapy. Abuse is not something to be taken lightly, and I empathize with anyone that has been, or is currently in, an abusive relationship. Just thought I would say that this fic could have some triggery stuff in it. So you have been warned.

A/N: There will be some angst, some explicit content eventually, and it will have a happy ending. I just like a side of angst with my happy ending. I also like to know that there will be a happy ending when I am reading a fic. Feedback is always welcome. Oh, and I just have to give kudos to all the authors out there. Writing is difficult, and I just hope that as the story continues, my writing continues to improve. :)

Chapter 1: Coming Home

Dean was on his side and faced the window and door from the motel room he currently occupied. He checked in around 3 pm, and now it was after 6 pm. He was hungry, but every stinking time he moved to actually walk out of the motel room his stomach lurched threatening to spill whatever leftover contents he still had from his earlier lunch. The burger and fries from the diner next to the bus station was pretty much gone, so Dean knew if he got sick it would probably just be bile. He studied the little dust particles that floated through the air visible from the beam of late afternoon sunshine that came through the dingy looking window. He sighed heavily as he rolled over to his back and dug the heels of his hands into his eyes. He threw his hands down to his sides and growled in frustration. The chances of anyone recognizing him if he went to the little diner beside the motel were slim, but there was still a chance. Coming back to Lawrence after five years was hard, and he was a completely different person now. Not for the better either.

He wasn't sure how he was going to contact Sam. He left after his dad, John, passed away when a truck driver crashed into the side of his car. Dean wasn't old enough at the time to have guardianship of Sam, and he overheard his Uncle Bobby and Aunt Ellen talking in the kitchen of the house he lived in with his dad and brother about how difficult it would be to take in both of them. That was all Dean had needed to hear. He went up to his room, packed a bag, snuck out of the window, and left. He left a note saying he was leaving so that Sam could stay with Uncle Bobby and Aunt Ellen without them having to worry about how to provide for Dean too. It was difficult, especially since Dean had presented as a sub at 16. Subs were too needy, and Dean hated being needy. He still does. At 22, Dean was able to hide his Sub status on his way back to Lawrence, but he knows it is only a matter of time before someone figures it out. Being a Sub was difficult to disguise. Dean wore oversized clothing, made a conscience effort to walk with his head high even with the hat pulled down low, and did not talk to anyone that wasn't a necessity. Now that he was back in Lawrence, he was hoping he could talk to Uncle Bobby about being his legal guardian since Dean was now old enough to live on his own. Subs couldn't live on their own until they reached the age 21. Usually because by the time they reach 21, they have found a Dom. Unfortunately for Dean, a Dom had found him about a week after he left Lawrence. Dean shivered as he thought about how controlling and possessive Michael was, which was the reason Dean had waited until Michael had left for his weekly card game to pack his backpack with what little belongings he could take, and he nervously dipped into Michael's money stash because Dean didn't have any money of his own. Dean was sure that Michael was pissed when he returned home to find Dean gone. He was probably even more pissed when he discovered he had five grand missing.

Of course, Dean was never registered as Michael's sub. In fact, Michael knew that Dean was hiding from his past, so the idea of helping by hiding Dean appealed to Michael. Dean never left Michael's house unless it was to visit someone that was actually in Michael's gang since they all knew Dean's existence. Dean took care of Michael, and Michael's house, but Dean started getting restless when he turned 21. He was at the age that he could live on his own as long as he had a legal guardian to see that he was taken care of until he found a Dom. Dean knew that Michael wasn't the Dom for him. He wasn't even sure if he could sub for another Dom now after everything he had endured with Michael, but he was going to focus on reconnecting with his family first then worry about a Dom later. He just hoped that his family would be happy to see him after this length of time. If they weren't happy that Dean was back and willing to be his guardian, then he would be appointed a Dom by the state. That just didn't appeal to Dean at all. As bad as Michael was, having a stranger be his Dom was something that Dean wasn't sure he could handle.

Who was he kidding? Dean couldn't even walk out the door to go get food. How he was even able to make it back to Lawrence was a mystery. It was like all the will and determination he possessed left him as soon as he walked into the safety of this motel room. Now, the motel room was like his prison. He knew he needed to go ahead and make the call to Uncle Bobby. He assumed that their numbers were the same, it was just that he felt panicked every time he tried to call. What if they reported him to Social Services because he had ran away and they didn't want to bother with him? Dean sat up on the edge of the bed and ran his hands through hair. He had to do something because he knew if he didn't he would drop, and he absolutely hated that he was that damn needy. The resentment that he felt for being a damn sub when everyone just knew he would be a Dom whirled around in his mind. If only he had been a Dom, then his dad wouldn't have been embarrassed to have a sub for a son, Uncle Bobby and Aunt Ellen would have been able to care for him until he was 18, which was the legal age for a Dom to live on their own. He could have taken care of Sam if he had been a Dom.

Dean looked at the phone on the bedside table. He knew he needed to do something or suffer through a drop alone, which could have devastating consequences. After taking a deep breath, he picked up the phone and dialed Uncle Bobby's number. When he heard Aunt Ellen's voice through the phone Dean started sobbing with both relief that he heard a voice he missed so much and wasn't sure he would ever hear again, and with regret because he was so sorry that he was such a screw up. He managed to say a tentative "Aunt Ellen?" Ellen replied back with surprise evident in her voice, "Oh my God, Dean Winchester! Boy, what...where...oh my...Bobby! Sam! Dean what is wrong? Where are you and we will come get you."

Dean had trouble gathering himself together to respond, much less answer all her questions. He only responded with the name of the motel and the room number before he hung up the phone and curled up in a ball on the bed. He knew they would be there soon, and his fate was in their hands.

xxxxx

Sam sat in the doctor's office waiting to talk with Missouri. She was the counselor that Sam had scheduled for Dean to meet with after they found him in the motel room curled up in the fetal position crying and in a serious drop. They immediately rushed him to the local ER to have him checked out. They gave him a clean bill of health and sent Dr. Missouri in to talk to Sam since he was Dean's legal guardian. Uncle Bobby and Aunt Ellen were appointed as Dean's guardian after John's death, but once Sam turned 18 guardianship was transferred to him since he was the closest Dom family member. Sam presented as a Dom at the age of 16, but Dean had been long gone by that time. He really didn't understand why Dean left like he did, but he knew that now that Dean was back that things were rough for him during those missing years. Missouri walked into the room and closed the door gently behind her. Sam stood to greet her and once the formalities were out of the way, Missouri got down to business.

"Sam, I have a few questions before I make my recommendation for how to proceed forward with Dean. As his legal guardian, I will need to divulge some of the information gathered from Dean with you; however, I will not share everything. I need Dean to trust me. He needs to trust that he can tell me things without worry that it will be repeated. Do you understand?"

Sam agreed by nodding his head. As curious as he was about the time Dean had been missing, he wasn't sure he wanted to know everything Dean had been through. "I do understand, and it will not be an issue, ma'am."

Missouri smiled warmly at Sam. "Good. Also know that my recommendations are in the best interests of Dean. My patient is my concern." Sam nodded again and simply agreed as he said, "as it should be. I want that too."

"Now, Sam, what are your plans in the near future? I understand you are going to college."

"Yes, ma'am. I was accepted to Stanford. I know that is a long way from Lawrence, though." Sam was apprehensive about leaving Dean to go off to college, but he also had worked so hard to get the full ride scholarship. He wanted to be near Dean, and as his legal guardian it was his duty to take care of Dean until he found a Dom. Dean had expressed the desire to live alone, but so far Sam has told him no. It was difficult to tell his big brother no, but Dean just nodded and said that he understood. Sam also didn't like the idea of him living alone since Dean was having nightmares at night and seemed to have anxiety about being around people and leaving Uncle Bobby's house. He was hoping that Missouri would have a solution for everything. "I had thought about transferring guardianship over to my Uncle Bobby, but he has been having some back issues lately and him and my Aunt were hoping to spend some time traveling now that my cousin Jo is able to run The Roadhouse now." Jo was Aunt Ellen's daughter from her previous Dom, but Uncle Bobby raised her as his own. Jo and her Dom, Benny, were taking over The Roadhouse Bar and Grill so her parents could retire and travel.

"Sam, I know you want to do what is best for Dean so what I am about to suggest may seem a little extreme to you. I want you to hear me out before you object." Once Sam nodded his assent, Missouri continued. "Dean needs a Dom, not just a guardian; however, Dean hates the thought of having a stranger appointed to him to be his Dom. He has not been in a healthy relationship for the last five years, Sam. I recommend him go through a behavior modification program that will slowly ease him toward where he needs to be in order to be self sufficient and on his own. I have had success with this program in the past with abused sub's, and it is my belief that Dean will benefit from the program."

Sam frowned. He wasn't sure..."Behavior modification? I am not sure if I like the sound of that? I don't want to change who he is, just...he needs to be able to make decisions on his own so he can live alone."

Missouri obviously understood Sam's trepidation. "Let me explain a little how this works using Dean's behavior as an example. One of the problems that Dean has is making decisions on his own. Based on my sessions with Dean during the last month, Dean has not been allowed to make decisions on his own for a long time. He was allowed to freely use the bathroom when needed, but Sam you may not be aware of how severe the situation was. Dean had a strict daily schedule that his Dom made him follow religiously or he was severely punished." She paused when Sam inhaled deeply in surprise, then she continued. "Sam, he was on a strict diet and exercise regimen; honey, he wasn't allowed out of the house at all or allowed contact with other people unless he was in the presence of his Dom. He wasn't allowed to work, because his work was keeping to his strict schedule and keeping his Dom happy. Honestly, how Dean was able to escape from that after being indoctrinated into that type of Dom/sub relationship is really remarkable, but it also explains why he dropped so hard once he made it to Lawrence. He was having to make all his decisions on his own and it was like an overload to his state of mind. As hard as this is to hear, Dean needs stability that comes in the form of a strict schedule and rules that he can follow." Sam was about to protest that he didn't want to do that to Dean when Missouri held up her hand stopping his protest. "Sam, he can't get settled because he has too much free time and too many choices. He is unable to handle all of that freedom right now. The goal with this program is to help Dean get where he needs to be by easing him into gradually making choices for himself. That takes time. If you are leaving for school, then it is not a program that you can help him with so you will need to temporarily appoint a Dom as his guardian for this purpose. Before you ask, it has to be someone I recommend. I already have someone in mind."

Sam cleared his throat before saying, "Are you absolutely sure this is necessary? Dean was already afraid that we were going to turn him over to the state and that he would have a court appointed stranger for a Dom. This sounds like almost the same thing."

"I guess it could be seen that way, which is why I recommend that the Dom that will be helping Dean during his therapy start meeting with him at the same time every day until you leave for school in an effort to build trust and friendship. This Dom will probably assign tasks for Dean to accomplish every day and will give you daily updates as needed. A week before you leave for school, we will transfer temporary guardianship over to the Dom and you can help Dean during that transition before you leave. It will be important that Dean knows you are not abandoning him or disappointed in him so we will discuss this process with Dean once we have finished. If you agree." Missouri was looking at Sam expectantly. Sam knew he had no choice but to do what Missouri suggested, but he did have another question.

"You said you have a Dom in mind for this. What sort of Dom is he or she?"

"The Dom is male, which I decided was best for Dean since the Dom he was in the relationship with was male. He has helped me with a few other abused sub's, but this will be the first time that he will actually be appointed his own sub to help full-time. He is five years older than Dean and is very mild mannered and gentle, but he knows when to be stern. He will probably not mind me telling you that he does this because he enjoys helping people. He is just a rare Dom that has not recognized his own mate yet. He is completely professional and will not take advantage of Dean sexually. Hopefully, the behavior modification with Dean will naturally roll over into his sexual relationship when he chooses to have one. I promise that Castiel, that is the Dom's name, will be a great match for Dean during this time. We will evaluate Dean's progress every month until he reaches his goals."

Sam sighs as he tried to process everything that Missouri just told him. He trusted Missouri, and if she trusted this Dom, then Sam trusted that Missouri knew what was best for Dean. Sam just prayed that Dean understood. Sam nodded as Missouri suggested that it was time to bring Dean in and update him on the directed course of action.

xxxxx

Dean sat alone in the small office that the doctor used for her sessions as he waited for Sam and Dr. Missouri to discuss his fate. He tried to keep from panicking about it. He knew that if Sam didn't want the responsibility of being his guardian then the doctor would probably turn him over to the state. Then he would be at the mercy of the state, and whatever Dom they appointed as his guardian. Many of those court appointed Dom's had several sub's, and Dean had heard horror stories about abuse.

He needed to go to the restroom, but when Dr. Missouri left the room she had told him to stay in the room until she returned for him. That had been a while ago, and he was getting anxious about what the doctor was telling Sam. He felt embarrassment and shame that his baby brother was his guardian. He knew it wasn't unheard of, but it was still embarrassing that just because he was a sub he had to have a legal guardian. Even if that legal guardian was barely 18. It hurt that Sam forbid him from living alone. He knew that he needed help with going out in public. Damn, he needed help with a lot of things, but he was hoping that he could just work on everything alone in the comfort of his own place. Sam wasn't having it though. He acted like Dean was a child. Dean wasn't a child, he just needed to get used to making decisions for himself. He wasn't sure why it was so difficult to do things without permission, but every time he tried he froze in terror that he would do the wrong thing. Punishment was a big deterrent. So far, Sam hasn't punished him for anything even though Dean knew he needed it. He was punished almost daily with Michael because he wasn't a good sub.

Dean was really worked up by the time Dr. Missouri opened the door and said they were ready for him. She noticed that he was anxious and assured him that everything was OK. Dean politely asked if he could visit the restroom before going into her office and felt immediate relief when she smiled warmly at him and said he could. Dean hurried in the restroom so that Sam and the doctor wouldn't have to wait long.

As Dean walked into the office and met Sam's gaze, he felt like he was going to throw up. His stomach was in knots. Sam pointed to the chair next to him. As Dean sat down, Sam reached over and placed his hand on the back of Dean's neck instantly grounding Dean. Sam kept his hand on Dean's neck as Dr. Missouri explained her plan for him. He was grateful for Sam's calming presence because Dean was sure that he would have dropped with all the swirling cesspool of emotions that he was feeling as he realized that he was going to be appointed a guardian after all. His greatest fear was going to be reality. Dean clung to the hope that once he reached his goals that would ensure he could care for himself that Sam would resume guardianship and Dean could finally live on his own. He just had to be a good sub for his new Dom, Castiel. Sam assured Dean that he wasn't abandoning him. Sam just couldn't be the guardian that Dean needed, but Castiel would be. After everything had been discussed, Dr. Missouri said that she would contact Castiel immediately. The sooner they could get started, the better.

Dean was sitting in the Impala watching the scenery go by worrying his bottom lip nervously about meeting his new Dom tomorrow. He sensed when Sam glanced his way, but Sam stayed silent. What was there to say, really? Sam had a life to continue. It wasn't fair to expect Uncle Bobby and Aunt Ellen to put their plans on hold to babysit Dean. The only logical step that made sense was to appoint a guardian to watch Dean. For the first time since leaving Michael, Dean really considered whether he made the right decision coming home.

Sam parked the Impala at Uncle Bobby's and turned to Dean. "Dean, I understand this is difficult for you, but everything really will be OK. I am not agreeing to this therapy for you because I don't want to be your guardian. I am agreeing to it because I know that I can not be what you need right now, Dean. I am proud of you, that you have overcome whatever happened during your time gone to make it back to us. Do you understand?"

Dean just looked at Sam and nodded. He didn't understand why it had to be this way, but he knew that any argument he made against it would be heard. This was just another example of how he wasn't competent enough to make his own decisions.

XXXXX

A/N

So, this is my first fic. I love reading Destiel (I have read a lot). As much as I love case fics, I don't feel as though I could do a case fic justice at the moment. I decided to take the tropes I love and create a story that I hope is an enjoyment to read. The next chapter will feature Castiel as we learn a little about him. Any reviews and comments are appreciated!