Seconds later, the brothers were standing in the kitchen's doorway.
"Hey, guys..." Sonny greeted, wondering if this was their default position – always beside each other with barely any space between.
"Hey," Dean returned, rubbing his hand back-and-forth over Sammy's shoulders as the kid finished pulling himself together; still wiping those red eyes and trying to control those shaky inhalations.
It freshly broke Sonny's heart, and he seriously wanted to hug this kid.
Maybe one day.
But for now, he smiled at the little guy instead.
"You hungry, buddy?"
Sammy glanced at Dean before nodding at Sonny.
Sonny returned the nod. "Alright. How 'bout I make you a sandwich?"
"I'll make him a sandwich," Dean corrected, sounding offended at the suggestion of someone else taking care of his little brother.
Sonny took note.
"Alright," he agreed, stepping aside as Dean approached and gesturing at the cabinets. "I've got bread, peanut butter, jelly, maybe some lunchmeat in the fridge..."
Dean nodded at the options. "Go wash your hands," he instructed his brother, watching Sammy cross to the sink and then setting about his own task.
The big brother gathering what he needed and smoothly slathering one piece of bread with peanut butter, then the other with grape jelly before cutting off the crusts and slicing the sandwich in half.
Across the kitchen, Sammy was standing on tiptoe, holding his dripping hands over the sink. "Um..."
"Guess you need a towel, huh?" Sonny commented, helping the kid out while Dean opened and closed cabinets to find a glass and then crossed to the fridge like he owned the joint.
"You want milk?" Dean asked over his shoulder.
"Yes, please," Sammy responded and then offered a shy smile to Sonny. "Thank you for sharing your food with us."
Sonny nodded at the polite kid. "Absolutely, man. Mi casa es su casa," he quipped with a wink and was about to translate when Sammy beat him to it.
"My house is your house."
Sonny arched an eyebrow. "Smart kid."
"Damn right he is," Dean proudly agreed and stared at Sam meaningfully. "Tell him the Latin you know."
Sam nodded, familiar with this method of checking strangers for demon possession.
It always worked like a proverbial charm.
Because if there was no demon present, the strangers would just think Sam was being adorable and would be impressed by his amazingly flawless Latin.
But if a demon was present, that would become apparent pretty quickly...and the brothers would deal with it accordingly.
Sam sighed, hoping Sonny didn't begin twitching in reaction to the exorcism.
The day had already been rough enough without having to deal with a demon.
Sonny smiled at him, clearly waiting for Sam to perform his trick.
And so was Dean.
Sam could feel his brother staring at him impatiently.
"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus..." Sam recited, stopping the exorcism after the first line since Sonny showed no signs of possession.
No flinching or growling or flash of black eyes.
Sam glanced at Dean.
Dean shook his head; he had seen no signs, either.
Good.
Sam smiled up at Sonny as the man just blinked at him.
"Wow. That was..." Sonny chuckled, again not quite sure what to think about these kids. "That was awesome, man. What does it mean?"
Sam shrugged, pretending he didn't know since it wasn't nice to tell strangers you suspected they were demons and were trying to exorcise them just in case.
"He just thinks it sounds cool," Dean covered for his little brother and gestured for Sam as he set the plated sandwich and glass of milk on the table.
Sam quickly sat and began eating. "'Anks, D'n."
"Don't talk with your mouth full," Dean admonished and ruffled his brother's hair affectionately before crossing back to the counter.
This kid who claimed he wasn't hungry now making himself a sandwich.
Sonny twitched a smile, pleased that Dean seemed to be settling in – at least for the moment – and that the earlier tension between them had noticeably faded.
"That's good," Sonny praised, sitting across from Sammy and picking up the conversation about Sammy being smart. "Bet that means you'll do good in school."
Sammy's eyes widened with excitement. "I get to go to school?"
Like doing so was a privilege.
Sonny nodded. "Yeah. Of course. Just as soon as we get you registered on Monday morning, you'll be a student at Catskill Elementary School. Home of the..."
Sonny's voice trailed off as he tried to remember the school's mascot. All of the kids in the house now were 12 and older, so it had been a while since one of his boys was young enough to attend elementary school.
"Anyway..." Sonny dismissed, figuring the mascot wasn't important right now. "We'll get you registered there," he told Sam, then glanced at Dean. "And we'll get you registered at the high school."
Sammy wrinkled his nose at the announcement. "Dean doesn't like school."
Sonny chuckled, not surprised. "Neither did I," he admitted, holding Dean's gaze as the older kid approached the table with his sandwich and a can of soda. "But every boy that stays here goes to school. House rules..."
"Driver picks the music and shotgun shuts his cakehole," Sammy replied, the comment random as hell but seeming to have some kind of meaning between the brothers as he grinned at Dean.
Dean rolled his eyes but quirked a smile as he sat beside his little brother.
Sammy hummed a laugh and played with the edge of his sandwich, squeezing together the pieces of bread and watching the peanut butter and jelly ooze out the side before licking it off.
"You two are brothers, right?" Sonny asked, knowing they were but also knowing it was better to clarify than to assume.
Both boys nodded in unison.
Sonny nodded as well. "And the deputy mentioned your dad but...no mom?"
Sammy froze at the question, his expression instantly sad.
Dean's was instantly cold.
And Sonny vowed he would never mention this topic again.
"No mom," Dean confirmed but offered no other details, his expression softening as he focused on his little brother. "It's just us."
Sammy smiled, his own expression brightening. "Just us," he echoed and held Dean's gaze.
Sonny watched as some silent conversation passed between them, and then cleared his throat, feeling as though he was intruding.
Dean glanced at him.
"Is there anybody you want me to call?" Sonny offered, hoping there wasn't.
Because he could feel himself becoming attached to these two already and didn't want them to leave, especially so soon.
Sammy gasped softly as if he had just thought of someone they could contact.
But Dean shook his head, rejecting that idea as if his brother had said the name aloud.
Sammy frowned.
Dean shook his head again and then refocused on Sonny. "No, there's nobody."
Sammy looked both confused and disappointed but didn't push the issue.
His big brother always knew best.
Several minutes passed.
Dean ate his sandwich while Sammy swung his legs and gulped his milk and stared at Sonny over the rim of the glass as the man sat opposite the brothers.
"So..." Sonny began, already knowing the answer to this question as well but needing to ask since he couldn't otherwise call the boys by their names unless he wanted them to know he had been eavesdropping earlier. "You two got names?"
Dean nodded, swallowing his mouthful of PB&J. "Laverne and Shirley."
Sonny blinked at the unexpected answer and then chuckled.
He liked this kid.
He really did.
Sammy laughed, the sound muffled as he wiped away his milk mustache with the back of his hand.
"Has a nice ring to it," Sonny commented about their supposed names. "But which is which?" He paused, glancing at the younger kid. "Are you Laverne?"
"He's Shirley," Dean replied, appreciating Sonny's sense of humor for playing along and respecting the man for trying to make his little brother smile.
It worked.
There was a brief flash of dimples.
"Nu-uh," the younger kid denied in that sing-song way kids did. "I'm Sam."
Sonny nodded, taking note that the kid had referred to himself as Sam, not Sammy...which meant maybe Sammy was a nickname only his big brother used?
Possibly...
Until he knew for sure, Sonny would stick to calling the kid the one-syllable name.
"Nice to meet you, Sam," Sonny greeted. "I'm – "
" – Mr. Sonny," Sam finished and smiled.
Sonny smiled back, strangely touched.
Because none of his boys had ever called him that...but it was just the kind of polite, adorable thing he would expect from this sweet kid.
"You got it," Sonny agreed about his name, not wanting Sam to call him anything else.
Sam ducked his head shyly.
"How old are you?"
"He's ten," Dean answered for his brother, a hint of his earlier defensiveness returning. "And we don't like it when strangers ask a lot of questions."
Sonny arched an eyebrow. "Good thing I'm not a stranger."
Dean snorted. "Maybe not. But we did just meet you, so chill with the Q&A."
Sonny nodded. "Fair enough," he allowed, reminding himself that building trust would take time...especially with this older kid. "Just one more question: what's your name?"
"Dean Winchester," the older kid responded, providing Sonny with their last name as well. "I'm 14. I enjoy sunsets, long walks on the beach...and frisky women."
Sonny chuckled as Sam wrinkled his nose at his brother's response. "Well, nice to meet you, Dean Winchester. Sounds like we've got some things in common. And here I thought we just had similar taste in music..."
Dean tilted his head and then glanced down at his shirt, the band logo on his chest framed by the edges of his jean jacket.
He glanced back at Sonny.
"You like AC/DC?"
"Absolutely," Sonny confirmed. "On a scale from one to awesome, they're right up there with Led Zeppelin."
Sam smiled. "Dean likes Led Zeppelin."
"What's not to like?" Sonny asked rhetorically and focused on Sam. "What do you like?"
"Sammy likes books," Dean answered for his brother.
"And dogs," Sam added.
"Dogs?" Sonny echoed.
Sam nodded enthusiastically.
"Well, I guess that means you and Gus will be good friends."
Sam's eyes widened. "Is Gus your dog?"
"He is," Sonny replied about the old black lab. "He wandered up to the farm a couple years ago. Nobody in the area ever claimed him, and he never left so he's still hanging around. In fact, if you want, one of your jobs around here can be taking care of Gus for me."
Sam beamed at the offer and glanced at Dean. "Can I?"
Dean hesitated, uncomfortable with the idea. "Is he safe?"
Sam scowled at the question.
But Sonny nodded, understanding Dean's reluctance to allow his little brother to tend to an unfamiliar dog.
"He is," Sonny assured the big brother about Gus. "He's never bitten anyone. Never shown any signs of aggression or anything like that."
Dean seemed unimpressed. "Anything with teeth can bite," he pointed out and glanced at Sam. "We'll see," he replied about whether or not the ten-year old could take care of the dog.
Sam sighed but said nothing.
Sonny changed the subject.
"What's that?" he asked, motioning at Dean's chest, at the gold charm hanging from a black cord.
Dean smiled, the way he always did whenever someone mentioned it. The way he always did whenever he thought about it or caught glimpse of it in the mirror or felt it resting on his chest.
This daily reminder of his little brother, of the kid he loved so damn much.
"It's an amulet," Dean replied and glanced at Sam.
Sam was smiling back. "I gave it to him," the ten-year old proudly informed Sonny. "It's supposed to protect him."
Sonny felt both touched and saddened. "Protect him from what?"
Sam's expression instantly changed. "Bad things."
Sonny frowned, wondering what kind of "bad things" these kids had seen and experienced.
Dean sighed at the change of mood in his little brother and reached for Sam, rubbing his kid's back to soothe and reassure that everything was okay.
There were no bad things here.
Sam released a shaky breath and glanced shyly at Sonny.
From across the table, Sonny offered a smile, doing what he could to help reassure the kid as well.
Because while he didn't know everything that had happened to them prior to coming to his farm, Sonny could promise that he would protect the brothers while they were there.
It was actually startling how fiercely protective Sonny felt about these two kids he had met barely an hour ago.
There was a beat of silence as Dean gave a final pat to Sam's back and then gestured to the ten-year old's glass.
Sam nodded and finished his milk.
Dean finished the last bite of his sandwich.
Sonny waited and then gathered the empty plates along with Sam's glass and crossed to the sink.
There was silence behind him, and he was sure the brothers were looking at each other again, speaking without words.
"So, now what?"
That was simple.
"Now we get you two settled," Sonny replied, turning to face Dean. "Usually boys 13 years and older bunk in one room...and boys 12 and under bunk in another."
Dean shook his head. "Hell no," he rejected, visibly bristling at the idea of being separated from Sam. "That ain't happening."
Sonny nodded, noticing that Sam had scooted closer to his brother; the ten-year old's eyes once again wide and scared.
"I figured you'd say that," Sonny commented, having anticipated Dean's reaction.
And if he was honest with himself, the idea of these two being apart made Sonny uneasy as well.
"That's why I'm settin' you two up in a different room. One you can share. Just the two of you."
Dean arched a suspicious eyebrow at the news. "Why the special treatment?"
"Because this is a special situation," Sonny pointed out and shrugged as if he wasn't breaking his own rules about treating all the boys equally.
But he couldn't seem to shake this instant attachment to these brothers; this instant connection along with this unexplainable desire to make their lives a little easier, a little better.
And if he could accomplish that by setting up Sam and Dean in their own room, then so be it.
Besides, this was a special situation.
Dean was the delinquent – after all, he had stolen...even if it had been for the right reasons – but Sam was just a little kid, remarkably sweet and innocent considering their background.
It wasn't fair to separate him from his brother and throw him in a room with tough kids who were both older and bigger than he was.
The better plan was to keep Sam with Dean...and that's exactly what Sonny was going to do.
The other boys could bitch about it if they wanted to.
But Sonny was doing what was best for the brothers.
Sonny nodded, decision made. "So, what d'ya say? Wanna see your new digs?"
Dean shrugged. "Whatever."
"Okay," Sonny drawled, having expected the return of Dean's indifferent attitude since that seemed to be the older kid's response to new situations until he figured them out. "I'll take that enthusiastic reply as a 'yes'." He paused. "Let's go."
Dean said nothing, watching as Sonny left the kitchen and headed for the stairs.
Beside him, Sam shifted in his chair, attracting Dean's attention.
"You okay?"
Sam nodded even as he frowned.
Dean frowned as well. "What's wrong?"
"You need to stop being mean," Sam scolded, the big-hearted kid hating it when his brother was rude.
Dean rolled his eyes. "I'm not being mean, Sam. I'm being cautious. There's a difference."
"Maybe," Sam allowed. "But Mr. Sonny seems nice."
Dean glanced in the direction Sonny had disappeared. "Yeah. But a lot of people seem nice until you get to know them."
...which was why Dean had to be careful.
They were in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people facing an unfamiliar situation.
It was a nightmarish trinity, and Dean would do whatever was necessary to keep Sam safe...even if doing so was considered "mean" by his little brother.
One day Sam would understand everything Dean did was for him.
"Why can't I take care of Gus?"
Dean refocused on his kid. "I didn't say you couldn't. I said we'll see. I need to check him out first."
Sam rolled his eyes, knowing his brother's thoughts about the dog. "He's not a skinwalker, Dean."
"How do you know that?"
Sam opened his mouth to respond but then shrugged, not having an answer and wishing his big brother wasn't suspicious of everything.
There was a pause.
"Why didn't you tell Mr. Sonny to call Uncle Bobby?"
Dean inwardly groaned at the expected question. "Because Bobby's hundreds of miles away."
"So?" Sam challenged, both boys knowing nothing would keep Bobby Singer away from them if the older hunter knew about their current situation. "How about Pastor Jim?"
Dean shook his head. "He's also hundreds of miles away, Sam."
"So?" Sam repeated, the ten-year old not following his brother's logic.
"So we leave them out of this for now," Dean snapped, feeling edgy at being asked to explain himself.
Especially since Dean knew he was being delusional in his belief that John would change his mind; that in a few days, their dad would come to get them.
Dean wanted that to happen...but he knew he would be disappointed.
John wasn't coming.
If anything, their dad was probably thankful someone else had been saddled with them.
They were someone else's burden now.
Dean sighed, trying to ignore his little brother as Sam blinked at him.
"Stop staring at me like that."
"I'm not staring," Sam defended. "I'm just looking."
Dean pulled a face.
"You boys comin'?" Sonny called down the stairs.
Dean sighed once more. "Yeah," he called back and reached for Sam as they stood, steering the kid out of the kitchen and keeping his hand on his brother's shoulder as they ascended the steps.
Once on the second floor, they passed a bathroom and then two rooms directly across from each other – the older and younger boys' bunkrooms, Dean assumed – and then another room with its door closed.
"That's my room," Sonny told the brothers as he watched them approach. "And this one's yours..." he offered, gesturing inside the open door at the end of the hall and waiting for them to enter.
"Wow..." Sam whispered, glancing around the large room and then quickly focusing on the bookcases on either side of the two beds; their shelves bulging with books and games and puzzles.
Dean smiled at his brother as Sam looked up at him, the kid silently asking permission to explore the treasures within those two bookcases.
The big brother nodded, not surprised when his kid ignored the games and puzzles and went straight for the books.
Sonny remained in the doorway, not wanting to intrude as he waited for Dean's reaction.
The older kid turned a small circle, cataloging every detail.
"This room is ours?"
Sonny nodded. "It is if you want it."
Dean hummed a response, continuing his inspection.
It was certainly nicer and bigger and cleaner than any of the motel rooms he and Sam had ever stayed in.
There was one window that would have to be salted along with the door, but otherwise...
Several seconds passed.
"Alright. We'll take it," Dean finally announced.
Sonny smiled, relieved. "Good to hear."
And it was.
Sonny really wanted these kids to stay.
And even more than that, he wanted them to be happy.
He wanted them to feel safe.
Hell, he even wanted them to feel loved by somebody other than just each other.
They deserved it.
And Sonny would do his best to give these brothers the home they never had.
Dean held Sonny's gaze, then glanced out the window as a yell echoed in the yard below.
Sam looked up from the book he was holding, clearly startled.
"It's okay," Dean assured his jumpy kid and crossed to the window, staring at the half dozen or so boys gathered outside.
Sonny didn't budge from the doorway, allowing Dean his space as he absorbed this part of their new reality.
Because knowing other boys lived here and actually seeing them were two different things.
"What are they here for?"
"Same as you," Sonny replied, knowing Dean was trying to gauge how dangerous they were. "Most for stealing, some for fighting."
"Fighting?" Dean echoed, glancing over his shoulder at Sonny and then glancing at Sam as his little brother continued to browse the books nestled on the bookcases' shelves.
Sonny shook his head, reading Dean's thoughts. "They won't hurt him."
Dean's expression immediately darkened. "They better not."
"They won't," Sonny repeated.
Because most of his kids weren't bad kids; they had just made bad decisions.
Most of them tried to get along and didn't go looking for trouble.
Though there was one kid Sonny would have to keep an eye on – Andy Davis, 16-years old and mean as shit.
Andy was currently the oldest boy in the house and thrived on being loud and tough and bullying the others when he thought Sonny wasn't watching.
But Sonny was always watching.
...which meant Andy had gotten better at bullying on the sly.
Even so, the 16-year old was constantly getting caught picking on the younger, smaller boys and losing house privileges as a result.
In fact, Andy already had two strikes against him this month. One more and he would be transferred to another boys' home.
It was part of the house rules.
Sonny believed in giving second chances...and sometimes even third chances. But after that, he drew the line. Especially when the safety and successful rehabilitation of the other boys was at stake...
Sonny sighed, hoping Andy wouldn't cause trouble for Sam or Dean.
"Who's the guy?"
Sonny blinked at Dean's question and crossed to join the older kid at the window, following his gaze. "That's Carlos," he answered about the man in the cowboy hat.
Dean nodded, watching as Carlos pointed to different areas of the yard as he gave instructions about the afternoon's final chores.
"He's good people," Sonny assured. "Lives a mile or two up the road and has been working here with me since I started the place. Helps out around the farm, helps keep the boys in line. He's actually an ex-cop, so..."
Sonny shrugged, allowing his voice to fade as he figured the story behind the farm could wait; the story about an ex-con and an ex-cop becoming friends and opening a boys' home together to help keep kids out of jail.
It was a good story - one that Sonny was proud of - but it could wait.
Dean said nothing, continuing to watch as the boys separated into two groups; one group heading to the barn with Carlos while the other group walked toward the chicken coop.
"That's Rosa," Sonny commented, gesturing at the woman waving the boys over to the coop. "She and Carlos got married about a year ago, so now she works here, too. Keeps the house clean, cooks most of our meals."
He paused.
"Just don't be fooled," Sonny warned. "She might be a woman, but she doesn't take any crap. Most of the boys are more scared of her than me or Carlos."
Although that was true, it was also meant to get a laugh.
But Dean remained silent, glancing at Sam just to check on the kid and then returning his attention to the yard below.
"I guess now is when you tell me that we have to meet them and play nice."
Sonny quirked a smile at Dean's dry tone. "I guess you're right," he agreed, fascinated by how intently Dean was watching the other boys...as if Dean was assessing their strengths and weaknesses and storing the information for later.
Dean sighed. "Fine. Let's get it over with."
TBC