Author: kaly
Category: Gen; humor; pre-series (Sam 9, Dean 13)
Characters: Dean, Sam, John
Word Count: 4,380
Rating: K
Spoilers: none
Summary: Dean helps Sam with his science fair project and the boys learn that sometimes more isn't always better - it's just more.
Note: Thanks so much once again, geminigrl11, for the beta and general cheerleading. :)
Disclaimer: Not mine. The pretty, snarky, angsty brothers belong to Kripke & the CW.
Famous Last Words
The school bell rang, signaling a flood of students trampling out of the brick two-story building onto the sidewalk. From his perch, leaning against the building, Dean watched the steady outflow of kids, looking for any sign of Sam amongst them. He was pretty sure he could spot his little brother's shaggy hair in any crowd, but he was beginning to worry when the crowd thinned - ushered off to the bus line down the road - and there was no sign of Sam.
Stepping away from the wall, Dean walked over to the doorway, relieved when he glanced inside and saw Sam rushing down the hall. Dean pulled the door open, barely ducking out of the way before Sam's book bag caught him in the stomach.
"You don't have to bring home your whole desk everyday, ya know," he said, letting the door fall closed behind Sam.
Dean had to bite back a smile when Sam rolled his eyes melodramatically. "It's not my whole desk, Dean. Just the stuff I need for my project."
"Project?" Dean asked, holding out his hand, offering to carry Sam's bag. It looked like it weighed twice as much as Sam himself did. When Sam shook his head, instead tightening his own grip on the bag, Dean did grin at his brother's stubborn independence. He had no idea where Sam had gotten that from. Honest. Instead of taking the bag, Dean reached over and tousled Sam's hair until he ducked away.
Sam glared at him, though his heart wasn't in it, Dean could tell. "Yeah, we each got a science project. Supposed to have it done in the next couple of weeks." Sam paused, staring off down the road, rather than at Dean. Dean had a sinking suspicion he knew what was coming.
"Do you think we could work on it today, Dean?" Sam did look up then, giving Dean the full-on puppy-dog stare he was almost helpless against.
Dean knew what Sam was thinking. Who knew if they'd be here in two weeks, when it came time to turn the project in? Unable to say no, knowing how much good grades meant to Sam even if Dean wasn't quite as concerned with them, he nodded. "Sure, kiddo. What's the project?"
"Well, Billy got the cool one, about planets and stars and moons and comets. I really wanted that one, but he got to pick first." Dean managed to hide his amusement at how miserable Sam sounded over a science project. He knew it was a big deal to Sam even if it was just fourth-grade science.
Dean put his hand across Sam's chest when they reached the four-way-stop on the way to their small house. It was habit, even though he knew Sam was aware of the crossing and wouldn't go without Dean going first. Checking both ways, making sure there was no traffic, Dean put a hand on Sam's shoulder and moved him forward.
"So if Billy got the cool one - which I'm not so sure he did, might I add - what did you get?"
Holding onto his bag with both hands, Sam hurried to keep up with Dean and cross the street before saying, "Mine's about volcanoes."
"That sounds way cooler than any silly project about planets." Dean looked down at Sam, grinning. "Well, if science projects could be cool."
Brushing his hair out of his eyes - they really needed to get it cut, Dean thought absently - Sam looked at him, considering. "You think?" he asked after several seconds.
Dean nodded. "Sure. Volcanoes explode, dude."
Sam's eyes went wide, as if he hadn't really thought about it like that. "We can't make one explode, Dean. I'd get in trouble!"
Dean would have wondered where Sam came from, how they could possibly be related, but he saw the spark in Sam's eyes at the thought of an exploding project. Yeah, he knew how to get his little brother's interest.
"Nah, it wouldn't really explode. I've seen 'em before, when I was little."
"I'm not little, Dean," Sam replied, glaring up at his brother, lower lip sticking out. It wasn't exactly a new argument, or a new reaction, and Dean barely managed to keep from laughing.
"Just wait," Sam added, stopping on the sidewalk to stare at Dean - for more effect, no doubt. "I'll be bigger than you someday."
Wrapping his arm around Sam's neck, Dean laughed and dug his knuckles onto the top of Sam's head. "Yeah, sure, pipsqueak." Dropping his hand, Dean left his arm draped over Sam's shoulders to get him moving. Steering him around the last corner before they reached their house he added, "I'll believe it when I see it."
"Anyway," Sam said, stressing the word, "Mrs. Bradshaw let me go to the school library and find a book about volcanoes. It even has instructions on how we can make one." Sam looked up at Dean, chewing on his lower lip. "It says I should have a parent there to help."
Their dad was busy hunting a pack of devil monkeys and anytime he wasn't trailing the creatures, he was busy sleeping. It was unlikely that he'd have any time to spare for a science project. Dean smiled, showing more bravado than he felt. How hard could a fake volcano be, anyway?
"Not a problem, Sammy. If your teacher asks, you had help." Digging the house key out of his pocket, Dean unlocked the front door and held it open for Sam. "You just don't have to tell her who helped you, okay?"
Sam walked into the house, dropping his bag onto a chair and pulling out the volcano book. He waited until Dean had the door closed before opening it to the right page.
Dean quickly checked the salt line was intact before looking back at Sam. "Come on, let's go look at this project of yours. Maybe we'll even have the stuff we need to make it." Dean gestured toward the kitchen.
It was probably their best bet for keeping the mess to a minimum. He really didn't want to risk riling their dad when he was tired from a hunt. Not even for a school project.
Sam held the book open, resting it against his stomach, as they walked. "See? It says here we need dirt and newspaper first." He pointed first to a diagram of a volcano and then to the list of supplies. Sam put the book on the kitchen table before looking at Dean. "I can dig some dirt up outside. We still have that bucket, right?"
Dean nodded absently while looking at the instructions. "Yeah, it's in the supply cabinet."
"I'll get it," Sam said, eagerly as he rushed from the room. Dean grinned, glancing up to watch him go, before turning back to the book.
They could scavenge up leftover newspapers easily enough, he could tell which ones their dad needed and which he didn't. They might even get lucky and the papers already be sorted. And he was pretty sure they had some soda and vinegar in the cabinets. They seemed to collect the oddest assortment of stuff during hunts. He just wasn't sure what to do about the food coloring - he knew for a fact they didn't have any.
Resigned to a trip to the store - worse yet, explaining the cost to their dad - Dean began digging through the cabinet. By the time Sam rushed in with a bucket full of dirt from the back yard, Dean had found both the soda and vinegar.
"Got it!" Sam announced, dropping the bucket onto the table. "Hey, you found the soda and vinegar. Cool!" he added, his eyes shining with excitement in a way Dean didn't really understand, but liked to see all the same.
"We should have newspaper, too, if we're careful." Sam looked wary at that, both of them knew better than to mess with their dad's stuff. But Dean smiled, trying to put Sam at ease. "As long as we're careful, it'll be okay, Sammy."
Although he didn't look entirely convinced, Sam nodded. Dean knew he trusted him to know what was best. "I'm just not sure what we're going to do about the color. We may have to go to the store."
Sam grinned then, his whole face lighting up and Dean knew he had an idea. He barely had time to wonder if they were going to regret this idea - it had been known to happen - when Sam began digging through one of the drawers.
"I thought about that earlier," Sam said, rooting around in the junk drawer until he pulled out a small packet. "What do you think?" he asked, showing Dean a pouch of drink mix. Cherry drink mix, to be exact.
Laughing, Dean slapped Sam on the back, grinning at the proud look on Sam's face. "That's perfect!" Another glance at the book and Dean added, "Now we just need a can..."
He thought for a moment before grabbing the trashcan and reaching inside. Soon enough, he found what he was looking for. Grabbing the soup can from the night before he held it up where Sam could see it. "Rinse this out and we'll be good to go, don't you think?"
Sam nodded, grinning from ear to ear as he took the can from Dean. He watched as Sam ripped the label off and began running water into it. "Don't stick your hand inside it," he said, mental images of Sam bleeding suddenly filling his mind. When Sam glanced over his shoulder, Dean explained, "I don't want you cutting yourself if any of the edges are sharp."
"Okay, Dean. I won't."
Once he was pretty sure Sam wouldn't hurt himself in the time it'd take to go grab some of their dad's newspapers, Dean added, "Just shove some paper towels in the can when you're done, and put it in the dish drainer, okay?" When Sam nodded, Dean left the room in search of the papers.
It turned out to be easier than he expected. Dean checked by the trashcans first, just in case and there, bundled together with twine, was a stack of papers from the past couple of weeks. Grinning, Dean grabbed hold of the twine, tossing the stack over his shoulder.
Right before going inside, he remembered some scrap plywood that had been in the yard when they'd moved in. They would need something to build the volcano on, so that Sam could take it to school and it should work. Walking around the side of the house, it only took a couple of minutes to find it, stacked against the wall, protected from the rain by an overhang. Shaking it, Dean decided it should be sturdy enough for what they needed.
"Yo, Sammy!" he yelled, walking back into the kitchen and dropping the paper onto a chair. "We've got plenty of paper." He put the wood on the table. "And a base, too. Can't make a volcano without a base, right?" he asked, winking at his brother.
Sam grinned, and Dean noticed he'd pushed his sleeves up, ready to get started. "It's perfect!"
"So what do we do first?" Dean asked, taking a seat in the other chair. This was Sam's project, might as well let him take the lead on it.
Sam scrunched his forehead, looking at the book for guidance. "First we need some of the dirt." He picked the bucket up, sitting it on top of the stack of papers in the chair. Slowly, he piled a bunch of it on the board, packing it down flat as best he could. "Do you think that's big enough?" he asked, looking at Dean through his bangs.
Looking at the pile of dirt, which was easily six inches tall, Dean nodded. "Looks like a good start."
Smiling, Sam said, "And now the can." He grabbed the now-clean can from the dish drainer and put the can in the middle of the pile, carefully centering it, much to Dean's amusement. "Help me with the paper?" Sam asked, putting the bucket back down on the floor.
"Not a problem." Standing, Dean went to the silverware drawer to find a knife to cut the twine with. Finally finding one sharp enough - sharp knives were easy to find in the hunting tools, not so easy in the kitchen - he quickly snapped the binding and replaced the knife in the drawer. "There we go," he said, sitting back down.
"Thanks, Dean," Sam said, pulling a sheet free of the stack and wadding in into a ball. He repeated the process several times, as Dean watched, until there was a pile of paper balls covering the table's surface. "You want to help?" Sam asked, gesturing toward the paper.
Laughing, Dean shook his head. "Nope, this is your project."
"Yeah, you say that," Sam replied, the grin on his face not quite matching the muttered words. "But just wait till it's time to set it off, then you'll want to help."
Snickering, and knowing what Sam said was probably true, Dean said, "I have enough homework without doing yours, too, Sammy."
"Sure you do," Sam said as he began stacking the paper balls around the mound of dirt and old soup can. After several of them were sitting on top of the dirt and all around, Sam gazed at it appraisingly. "Do you think these will hold? Should we tape them or something?"
Thinking about it for a minute, wishing they had some sort of clay that might mold better, Dean said, "Maybe some tape just to hold the paper in place, until you can put the dirt on top of it. I think you lucked out. The dirt looks packy enough that it should hold together on top of the paper, if you can get a good base."
The sheer look of relief on his little brother's overly serious face nearly made him crack up laughing. Somehow, however, Dean managed to refrain. "Hold that thought," he said, leaving the kitchen and going into the small extra room their father had claimed as an office of sorts.
It occurred to Dean that digging around in the room was breaking any number of rules, but he justified it by assuring himself their dad would understand. If he found out, that was. But surely a school project was worth bending a little rule. He chose to ignore that they'd never actually crossed that line before, even in the name of school, and hurried about looking for a roll of tape he knew must be hidden somewhere.
He was about to give up when he stumbled onto the tape, hidden on a shelf behind some books Dean didn't recognize. Triumphant, he grabbed the roll and jogged back into the kitchen. He was just in time to see Sam trying in vain to hold the paper balls in some sort of cone-like shape.
"Here ya go," he said, offering the tape to Sam. "This should help."
Sam's face lit up in a grin. "Thanks, Dean!" However, in letting go of the paper long enough to take the tape, what little he had accomplished in piling was undone. "Man..." he said, arms dropping to his sides.
"Hey now, no giving up, we can do this." Taking the tape back from Sam, Dean gestured toward the paper, thinking for a moment. "Okay, start pressing the paper into the dirt that's there. Then put some on top of it, vertically." He waited until Sam had done so before pulling a long strip of tape off the roll. "I'm gonna wrap the tape. You just keep putting paper under it, okay?"
Slowly, and possibly using more tape than paper, they managed to create something that looked vaguely cone-shaped. Admittedly, it looked better if they squinted and tilted their heads to the right, but it wasn't too shabby, given their supplies.
"What do you think?" Dean asked, standing back to admire their handiwork.
Sam seemed to think for a minute before saying, "It's a little lopsided..." Dean opened his mouth to reply, hating to let Sam down but knowing that a perfectly shaped volcano like in the book was beyond their grasp, when Sam added, "But I think that's good. Makes it look more real, right?"
Relieved, Dean ruffled Sam's hair. "Exactly," he said, as if he'd been thinking that all along. "Now, you need to put the dirt on top." He only hoped it held better than the paper had. Tape wasn't going to cut it with dirt and Dean wasn't sure what else to try.
Luckily - for both their sakes, Dean couldn't help thinking - the dirt cooperated. Once Sam managed to pack it into all the nooks and crannies in the paper, it held better than Dean feared it might. In fact, by the time Sam was done pressing and patting the soil into place, they had what kinda, sorta resembled a mountain. A really small, dirty mountain - with a hole in the middle.
"Not bad, Sammy." Rubbing his hands together, excitedly, Dean added, "We should test it."
It was impossible to miss the doubtful look on Sam's face. "What if it messes it up?" Sam asked, looking at the fragile volcano. "We'll just have to rebuild it for school."
"Then we rebuild it," Dean said, smiling at Sam, hoping to ease the uncertain look on his face. He hated it when Sam looked at him like that. "I'll even help you, if it messes it up too bad, but you have to test it. How else do you know if it'll work at school?"
Dean knew the minute that Sam caved, agreeing with his logic even if he was worried about messing it up. Besides, it had gone together easily enough; surely it wouldn't be that big a deal to patch it up.
"Okay," Sam said, "We need the vinegar first, then." He picked the bottle up, looking between it and the top of the volcano several times. "And maybe a cup..." Sam grabbed a glass out of the cabinet, carefully filling it with the vinegar.
Dean could always tell when Sam was concentrating, even at something as simple as pouring the vinegar without spilling it, because his tongue would stick out between his teeth. Once he was done, Sam stood on tiptoe, trying to see inside the can that sat in the middle of the volcano. Very carefully - Dean knew he didn't want to spill the smelly liquid - Sam poured it inside.
Glancing in the can, Dean grinned at Sam. "Sure you don't want to use a little more?"
"It said to fill it up about half-way," Sam insisted, gesturing toward the book.
Dean picked up the bottle of vinegar, winking at Sam. "Yeah, but more stuff, bigger eruption, right? Can't hurt, Sam."
"Dean..." Sam fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, digging his sneaker against the linoleum. When Dean poured a little more vinegar into the can, Sam reached forward and put a hand on his arm. "That's enough, okay?"
Relenting, Dean nodded and put the vinegar on the kitchen counter. "Sure, Sammy. What's next?"
Sam picked up the drink mix, ripping the pouch open carefully so he could close it back, Dean had no doubt. "You really think this will work?" he asked, chewing on his lip as if trying to decide to put it into the can with the vinegar.
"Yeah, I think it's perfect," Dean replied. He wasn't surprised Sam doubted it, his little brother was such a stickler for playing by the rules. "And it's cheaper than some silly food coloring." Nudging Sam's shoulder, he added, "Go for it."
Encouraged, Sam tipped the mix pouch slowly, letting maybe half of it drizzle into the vinegar. The smell was... interesting, Dean noticed around the same time that Sam's nose crinkled up. "Ew," Sam said a moment later, putting the left over mix onto the counter. When Dean raised an eyebrow, Sam explained, "I don't want it to get wet. Just in case, ya know? All we have left is grape..."
Dean couldn't help it, he laughed. It was just so practical it screamed Sam - you couldn't have a purple volcano. Besides, grape was his favorite, it didn't need to be sacrificed in the name of science. Cherry was Sam's; in fact it was Dean's least favorite, it could be sacrificed all Sam wanted to, to Dean's liking.
Sam stared at the volcano for so long that Dean finally asked, "You gonna light it up?"
Picking up the box of soda, Sam looked between Dean and the volcano. Dean could see the wheels spinning in his little brother's head, trying to decide if this was a good idea or not. "Yeah," he finally said, pouring some of the soda out into a coffee cup.
"You not gonna measure that?" Dean asked, surprised.
Sam shook his head and grinned at Dean. "Why start now, right?" He took a deep breath and leaned the cup out over the top of the volcano.
For a moment, Dean cringed, wondering just how big a mess this might actually make and if it might be better to do it outside. He had enough time to tell the little practical voice to stuff it when Sam finally dropped the soda into the can.
There was a sizzling noise first and Dean barely had time to pull Sam out of the way before red foam started spouting out of the top of the volcano, running every which way down the sides. One of the chairs clattered to the floor, knocked over when Dean jumped backwards to avoid the mess. Sam's arms flailed, one hand nearly clocking Dean in the eye for his effort.
"Wow," Sam said a moment later, still tangled in Dean's arms.
Steadying Sam on his feet, Dean walked toward the table, staring wide-eyed at the mess they'd managed to create. The shock settling, Dean couldn't help laughing at the destruction they'd caused. "Well, have to say we're gonna have to rebuild it..."
Still laughing, he turned to look at Sam who was staring behind him, his mouth open and eyes wider than they'd been during the eruption. "Sammy? What's wrong?"
"What in the hell...?" Dean turned around, as frozen as Sam once he saw their dad standing in the doorway. "Care to explain?"
Forcing himself to swallow the lump in his throat, Dean moved to stand in front of Sam. It wasn't a conscious thing, and he knew their dad would never hurt him, but he couldn't help himself. "It's for school. We'll clean it up."
"For school?" he asked, and Dean could see the disbelief in his dad's eyes. "How is flooding the kitchen red for school?"
"I'm supposed to make a volcano," Sam said, his voice small, coming from behind Dean. He stepped around his brother, so that they were standing side by side. Sometimes Dean wished he'd stay put, but that wouldn't be his little brother.
"Dean was helping me. See? I have instructions and everything." Sam gestured toward the book, which had narrowly avoided being dyed red.
Dean saw their dad's eyes glance at the book before looking back at them. When Dean saw his shoulders start to shake, he couldn't quite believe his eyes. He'd thought for sure they were done for, for wrecking the kitchen, and here their dad was, laughing so hard he was holding his sides.
"Wow," he finally said, several long moments later, gasping for breath, as both Sam and Dean stared at him in shock. "I have to say, boys, I haven't seen a volcano quite that explosive since I was in grade school."
"Yeah?" Sam asked. Dean could hear the hope in his voice; Sam never seemed to tire of hearing stories from either him or their dad, however few and far between they were. "What happened?"
Dean watched, still stunned, as their dad wiped tears from his eyes. "Just about what happened here. Huge mess, red everywhere." He paused, and Dean could tell he was thinking. "What did you use for color, anyway?"
"Some of my drink mix," Sam replied, sounding more confident. "It was mine though, not Dean's, so maybe it's okay we wasted it, right?"
"Yeah, Sammy, it's okay," their dad reassured him, ruffling Sam's hair. "But that stuff stains like crazy, you'll need to clean it up quick, all right?"
Sam nodded, eagerly, and they watched as he ran to grab a dishrag and dustpan. Dean looked up at his dad, however, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Not a bad job," he said, giving Dean a wink. "Couldn't have helped him better myself."
Dean gaped for a moment before grinning so big his face hurt. "You think?" he asked, looking from his dad to the mess on the kitchen table.
He nodded and squeezed Dean's shoulder. "You both did good. But clean that up before the stain sets, okay?" After Dean nodded, he added, "Besides, you have to rebuild it so I can see the next eruption, right?"
"You want to see it?" Sam asked eagerly, stopping cleaning for a moment. When Dean looked over at him, he busted out laughing at how Sam looked. Red goop was coating Sam's arms and, somehow, his nose.
"Just as soon as I get cleaned up and you get it back in one piece."
"Cool!" Sam cheered, and Dean knew how happy it made Sam that their dad was interested, happy, to be around something they'd built. He knew because he felt the same way, even if he wouldn't admit it.
"Dean, help your brother!" their dad called as he walked down the hallway to his room.
Grinning, Dean grabbed another rag and the trashcan and started scraping the mess off the table with Sam. "Think we should use more baking soda this time?" he asked, knowing he was egging Sam on.
"Dean..."
"Yeah, yeah," Dean back-peddled. He wasn't sure he wanted to see it get much bigger, either, if he was truthful. After cleaning for several moments, the table luckily having escaped the worst of the stain, Dean started laughing.
"Still think planets are cooler, Sammy?"
fin