Chapter Two-New Family

Three Years Later-

Bobby Singer was enjoying himself. Sure he was hunting but it was for deer and not a supernatural creature that could tear him apart. He decided to grab some lunch around noon and sat down on a log to unpack it. He heard a small noise in front of him and when he looked up, he saw a very small child who had long brown hair and hazel eyes. As he stared at the baby, another child came walking up very slowly. Bobby noticed this child was slightly older and had long blond/brown hair with green eyes. Both children were thin, filthy and wore very little. Bobby looked down at the hand that was holding a sandwich. He felt a bit guilty eating while being watched by two very young, very hungry children so he offered his sandwich to them. The older one grabbed it and took a bite. He chewed the bite but didn't swallow. Instead he took the masticated piece out of his mouth and put it in the younger child's to eat. Bobby felt a bit nauseous but he also noticed that the baby ate the food offered. The older boy then took another bite which he again chewed but this time he swallowed. Every other bite was given to the younger child the same way as the first one had been until the sandwich was finished. Bobby then offered an open bottle of water to the children, wondering how they would handle it but the older boy took a drink then offered the bottle to the baby. Carefully, he tipped the opening to the baby's mouth and let him have a mouthful. He waited until the baby swallowed then gave him another drink.

Bobby watched in awe as the older child, not much older that six or seven, take care of a child not much older than a toddler. He knew that, legally, he should bring the children to Social Services to be put in foster care but there was something about the boys that wouldn't allow him to do so. It was the first time that he seriously considered having children, especially after the fight with Karen. He had been afraid he would become like his father who had been a drunk and an abuser. Five years after the fight and Karen's possession which led to her death, Bobby still felt guilty about denying her that one pleasure, the only thing she really wanted and asked for. Now, it seemed, he was presented with a do-over and he decided to take it.

Bobby gathered up his trash, backpack and rifle. He looked at the boys and went to pick them up. The older boy, seeing his intentions, picked the toddler up and allowed the man to pick him up. Bobby frowned. The boys were severely underweight, they felt as though he was carrying two large pillows. He knew that he needed to get them help but he didn't trust any doctor or nurse not to call CPS. As he walked towards his truck, he thought about anyone who could help and was close. The only one who came to mind was Jim Murphy. He lived in Blue Earth which was only two hours from where Bobby and the boys were. He liked that idea since Murphy was known to be discreet and he needed that now.

When he got the boys to his truck, Bobby was stymied for a minute. He had his hands full and didn't want to put the children down on the cold ground so he could open his truck but he didn't have much of a choice. All he could do was to make sure that they were out of his arms for as little as possible. Finally, after some soul searching and much juggling, Bobby was able to put his gun and pack down without disturbing the children in his arms then he opened the truck door and put them on the bench. Reaching behind the seat, he pulled a blanket out to wrap around the children then he made sure the seatbelt was on them. Bobby threw his pack behind the seat and hung his rifle up before carefully closing the door. Hurrying around the truck, he got in and started the engine. Both boys started at the sudden noise and he made shushing sounds, trying to calm them down.

At first, he drove slowly since he didn't know how the motion would affect them. After a few minutes, they fell asleep and he sped up. He knew that they would need clothes, food and other items and he prayed that Jim could help him get those items. Looking at the younger boy, he also decided that they would probably need some of the baby items also. Shampoo, soap, diapers, baby gate, training chair and so on were now on his list of needs but Bobby didn't mind. He actually was looking forward to caring for the two babies who had stolen his heart from the first look.

SDSDSDSDSDSDSD

Over the years, Jim Murphy had learned how to tell which Hunter was driving up to his door just by the way the engine of their vehicle sounded. Rufus Turner liked a quiet sound to his car while John Winchester's car sounded like it growled. Now, he heard Bobby Singer's truck drive up to the house and wondered why the Hunter was early. He knew that Bobby had been out hunting deer so he wondered if the man had already bagged his limit. When the truck stopped, Jim rose from his chair to greet Bobby when he knocked at the door. When the knock came, he answered the door and got a huge surprise. Bobby stood on the porch with a blanket wrapped child in his arms. Jim looked closer and realized that there wasn't just the one child in Bobby's arms but two.

"Bobby?" Jim asked quietly so as to not scare the children.

Bobby looked at the Pastor with tears in his eyes and he said, "I couldn't leave them Jim. I didn't even have the heart to give them up to CPS. Karen always wanted children and the last thing we did before she was possessed was to fight about that. Jim, I want to keep these two and raise them myself." It was on the tip of Jim's tongue to try to argue some sense into Bobby then he noticed the tiny boy in the other child's arms. He wasn't cuddling into his brother anymore but was staring at Jim with the most beautiful hazel eyes. He was locked in until the older child carefully turned the baby's face away. Jim blinked a couple of times then looked at his friend. Bobby was anxious, his heart and love for the children shone brightly on his face and Jim knew that he would help Bobby keep the children.

"Okay, Bobby. I'll help you keep the boys but first, we need to get them clean. Where did you find them again?" Jim asked.

"They were in the woods. I stopped for lunch and there the little one was. His brother came out of the tree line then," Bobby said, looking at the children in his arms.

"By the looks of them, I'd say they were there for a while. Did you notice if there was a cabin or a trailer anywhere around?" Jim wondered.

"Not that I could see," Bobby answered. "I was more worried about them being hungry and cold than looking anything like that. I got the feeling they were there by themselves."

Again, Jim noticed how tenderly Bobby looked at the boys in his arms and that decided him. "Okay, then. Let's get them in the tub so we can clean them up. Then, we'll try to get some food in them before we put them in bed. While you are bathing them (me? Bobby thought) I'll be making some calls. A couple of my parishioners have children who are a bit older than the boys and I may be able to get some clothes and other things you will need. I do believe that we should get some diapers for at least the younger boy and maybe some Pull-ups for the older one since we don't know if they've been toilet trained. I'll also call around for some furniture for you, baby gate, beds, toilet training chair, and stuff like that. By the way, when was the last time your house was painted?"

"I think around 1970, why?" Bobby wanted to know.

"We'll have to repaint. You more than likely have lead paint in your place and that can be dangerous to children, you know. Also, we'll need to fence off a piece of your yard and make it a safe place for the boys to play. Let me call some friends and we'll work on it for you while the three of you stay here," Jim said firmly. He would help Bobby keep the boys but the price of his help would come in making a home for them.

"I don't want anyone I don't trust on my property, Jim. If you can get Rufus and Joshua to help you then I'll accept."

Jim nodded. It had been easier than he expected but he wondered how much the children helped in convincing the Salvage Yard owner. He had some ideas about who and what they were. Unlike many people, he wasn't afraid of them and wanted to help them have a good life. Instinctually, he knew that they would never hurt him or Bobby. He had been examined and not found wanting so the boys accepted him in their lives.

Jim led Bobby and the children to his bathroom where he drew a warm bath. Bobby put the boys down and unwrapped the blanket. Proceeding with the older child, he took the rags off and threw them away. Then he turned his attention to the younger child but was gently pushed away by the other boy who undressed the baby. Bobby understood that, even though he could touch the older boy, he was not allowed to touch the younger. The older child would not allow it but would imitate what he did so Bobby waited until the older boy picked the younger one up then he put both of them in the tub. When the warm water hit them they were startled but soon began to relax. Bobby picked up a washcloth and, after wetting it, rubbed some soap on it and began to wash the older one's back. Jim watched for a minute then put another washcloth and the bar of soap in the elder's hands and showed him what to do. The older one smiled slightly then began to wash the younger's back carefully. As the bath progressed, the Hunters started to see some scars on both boys that looked as though they had been cut or deeply scratched but nothing that screamed abuse. After watching Bobby and the boys, Jim went and made his calls.

The story he told was that a friend and his sons had come to visit but somewhere on the trip, they had lost the boys' luggage with all their clothes and toiletries. When the women he called heard that, they went into their closets and pulled all the clothes they could find that might fit the two children. They also gave many items that were bigger so the children could have something to grow into and their own closets would be that much emptier. One mother had an old toilet training kit, another had old Dr. Seuss books and a third bought some toiletries, especially diapers and Pull-Ups, for the two babies. Jim was a bit overwhelmed when the donors came to his door and left boxes and bags of items for the new family. He thanked them warmly and invited them in but to a person, they said thank you but they really had to get going. Jim went through the stuff and found some pajamas he thought would fit the boys and, with a diaper and Pull-Up, went to give them to Bobby to put on his new sons.

Jim then went into his kitchen and made some Cream Of Wheat for the children to eat. It wasn't very heavy for their stomachs and he didn't believe it would hurt them. He then poured some apple juice in two new sippy cups and waited for the family to come down. While waiting, he made some phone calls and got Josh and Rufus to agree to help baby proof Bobby's house. Besides Jim, they were the only Hunters Bobby truly trusted.