Priya723 suggested I write a second chapter, so here it is. :)
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When Love Costs Twenty Dollars and Fifty Cents
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Chapter Two
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Dean had never been one for the wide open spaces, maybe because he had passed most of his young life locked in motel rooms or rented houses, looking out for his little brother.
Yeah, he had crisscrossed the USA with John but that meant being closed in the Impala for hours on end; not exactly a hiking trip!
When he had come to understand that the motel rooms and the Impala were relatively safe from the various monsters that roamed the Earth's cities and countryside he was even more attracted to the security that buildings, salt lines and wards provided.
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Today however he had felt the urge to get out of the stuffy room, and where it would usually be Sam who would be dying to stroll around in the open-air Fair, he had surprised his brother by offering to go himself; Sam's puppy-eyes had stared at him as if he had just said he was going out to dance naked along the streets!
Dean had rolled his eyes and stalked out.
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They had noticed the second-hand Fair as they rode into town and when they came across one Sam would spend an afternoon wandering round the stalls stocking up on the cheap silver trinkets that could be found there. They'd melt them down into silver bullets. It was always good to have a cache of them in the Impala's trunk.
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He'd already accumulated a pocketful of clinking jewellery which was weighing down one side of his denim jacket and was ready to hot-foot it to the diner for food and coffee to take back Sam, when he passed a stall selling old books.
His eyes were drawn to the section where the children's books were laid out, their vividly coloured covers catching his attention. He let his eyes wander over them, remembering how little Sammy had loved having stories read to him, even after the little geek had learned how to read himself.
"Dean, it's better when you read it to me. You do all the voices different," he would plead, those damn eyes of his weaving their magic and making him a slave to the kid's every wish! Even now when Sam chose to flash them, the bad-ass Dean Winchester that he had become, still succumbed!
Dean shook his head, what a weird childhood he had lived when his best memories all had Sam in them. Co-dependent? Heck yeah, even if he would deny it to the highest heavens!
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He was about to turn away when one of the titles jogged his memory.
"The Extra Big Book of World Fairy Tales."
He picked it up and in so doing allowed the forgotten memories to flood his mind. God, he had been around eight and Sammy a cute mop-haired four-year old. It was all coming back to him now.
Dad had gone off on a hunt, assuring him that he would be back in a couple of days and he had left a few dollars for emergencies; money that Dean had spent on a book of Fairy Tales, a book exactly like the one he was holding in his hands.
He remembered how he had been missing a fifty cent's coin to make up the total price but somehow the shop assistant had given it to him just the same. He had rushed back to motel and lain down on the bed next to his sleeping brother with the book clasped in his hands, waiting for Sammy to wake up.
The little shit had never slept as long as he did that day but when he did awake it had all been worth it just for the look of pleasure in little Sammy's eyes and the way he had clung to him saying that he was the best big brother in the whole wide world; Dean recalled just how awesome that had made him feel.
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They had hardly ever left the bed for the next two days, except to eat whatever was quickest for Dean to prepare and that was Lucky Charms and one of the bananas that John had left for them, curled up together reading their way through all the stories until Dean thought that his eyes would pop out of his head and his voice stop working from the over-use.
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He hadn't dwelt on what Dad would say when he came back from the hunt; there was no point in worrying beforehand.
When John asked him about the money and if there had been any problems, Dean had told him the truth, hoping that John would be understanding, but John hadn't been.
He'd torn Dean a new one. "That money was for emergencies and buying a book for Sam certainly wasn't," he'd yelled.
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Thinking back on it now, Dean wasn't sure if Dad had been so angry because he had used the money to buy a book or because he had disobeyed his order.
It had been a good job that he and Sammy had read the whole book for John had trashed it before bundling them into the Impala and moving on.
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Sam hadn't said anything.
He was only four but he'd seen how angry John had been with Dean and he had pressed himself into his side on the back seat of the car, trying to comfort his big brother in the only way he could.
When Dad had stopped for gas Sam had piped up. "Thanks Dean. It doesn't matter that Dad threw the book away. We had read all the stories anyway. I'm just sorry he was so mad at you."
"Nah, no big, Sammy," he had replied recalling the words as if it had been only yesterday. "Dad'll get over it and I can still remember all the stories even without the book."
"Yeah but the pictures were really nice, though." Sammy had replied sadly.
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"How much for this?" Dean asked the vendor.
"You can have it for a dollar. Kids don't go looking for fairy tales any more," the guy answered.
"No, I don't suppose they do, " Dean agreed as he walked away with the book under his arm.
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He threw it onto the front seat of the Impala and went for food.
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"You get anything, Dean," Sam asked as his brother swept through the door.
"A coffee, a girly latte, hamburgers and rabbit food plus a book for your princessy self!" Dean grinned.
He put the provisions on the table and handed the book to Sam. He saw him furrow his brow in confusion as he realised what it was.
"The Extra Big Book of World Fairy Tales?" Sam read turning questioning eyes on his big brother.
"You don't remember do you, Sammy? Once you would have jumped somersaults for a book like that!" Dean said teasingly but his eyes remained serious.
"Sit back, Sammy, " Dean added. "I'm gonna tell you a story."
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