II.

Quickly, Sammy grows. He changes from a chubby baby into a little boy that searches for non-existent adventures and likes to prod his curious nose into the business of his older brother and father, even when they are reluctant to say certain things to young Sammy. Dean no longer rocks him to sleep and though Sammy stubbornly insists that he's a big boy now, there are still the nights where his dreams scare him and he whimpers as he clutches his pillow to his chest. On these nights, Dean doesn't make a fuss over letting Sammy sit closer to him on their shared bed, the proximity bringing comfort in a darkened motel room. Dean never minds whispering stories in Sammy's ear until he drifts off once more, telling soft tales of brothers being superheroes, just the two of them against the world.

All grown up, at least in his own eyes, Sammy is smart for a six year old. In school, he solves his homework problems quickly and thoughtfully, his handwriting carefully rewritten to provide the best quality of work. Even when he finishes his work much earlier than the rest of his class, he is too polite, too considerate, and too shy to even consider asking his teacher for some more things to do. Instead, he sits quietly at his low table, body pulled together as closely together as possible in his tiny plastic chair. Sometimes, he rechecks his work, going over his paper as he worries his bottom lip between his teeth as he concentrates on achieving perfection. Sometimes, he just waits patiently, his eyes silently scanning the classroom with a curiosity his teacher once mistook for a lack of interest in his homework.

Most of the time, Sammy pulls out the special pack of crayons Dean convinced their dad to get him for his sixth birthday. With these treasures, Sammy meticulously draws pictures that he can show Dean after school. He loves showing Dean his artwork because no matter what he creates, be it an abstract self-portrait or a messy outline of two superhero brothers, Dean's eyes never fail to sparkle with pride as he ruffle's Sammy's mop of hair while complimenting his masterpiece. Sammy can't show his dad his work because the man often finds it a silly adventure or is not even around to notice, but Dean always makes Sammy feel proud of his accomplishments.

When Sammy's teacher, the one with the frizzy hair and bug-eyed classes that give him the creeps, figures out that he spends the majority of class dwelling in blissful free time, she starts changing things for him. She gives him more homework and activities to complete, she sends him home with extra papers and she tells him she's letting him try some of the homework from the next grade. Sammy doesn't mind the extra work, but he's sad that he can no longer make pictures for Dean. Soon, she starts trying to call his dad about moving him up a grade, but she never gets a chance to talk with the busy man.

But before Sammy can skip ahead, their dad is back in the motel with dirty clothes and a grim face, telling the boys to quickly pack their things before nightfall. Then, that school with the bug-eyed teacher becomes another forgotten town in the distance, leaving him to start the process all over again.

Due to his innate curiosity and intelligence, Sammy knows that his brother and dad are keeping something from him, something big. This something has to be the reason they're always jumping from town to town, always leaving just as Sammy starts to make friends. Sammy knows something is off because his dad leaves him with Dean for long periods of time, and even though Dean is fun and a nice big brother, he has to wonder why their dad doesn't want to be around them. Sammy wonders if it has to do with the fact that their mom is gone and neither Dean nor Dad will talk about it. Whenever Sammy asks Dean what their dad does, for he learned earlier on not to bother his dad with stupid questions, Dean's eyes flit around the room and try to focus on anything but the eager Sammy while his mouth spits out a lame excuse that Sammy knows isn't true. But Sammy learns not to pester Dean too much about it because he sees the way Dean nervously watches the door to their room and stays up past bedtime when he thinks Sammy's asleep.

From town to town, they keep on moving. Most of them are small towns, the ones whose names are hastily written as a final thought on maps. They are the towns with small schools and tightly knit groups of children who need some persuading to accept Sammy and Dean. Often, the kids are nice when Sammy offers to share his precious crayons with them and they'll quickly keep in the loop when it comes to the childish gossip they come across. Occasionally, he is treated as a freakish outcast, the one kid who eat his snacks quietly and works at the empty table by the dusty storage closet in the corner of the room. Sometimes, his status as a new kid earns him honors while at other times, he is left completely ignored or despised. Sammy learns how to be lonely with grace, but that doesn't mean he likes it. Though he has Dean to walk him back from school and to ask how his day was, Sammy wishes he could have a friend other than his brother.

Because of his loneliness and desperation, Sammy decides to borrow the bike.

His dad had always been one to force strange rules and exercise caution while still holding strange expectations of his children. While Sammy could go to school, he had to be accompanied by Dean while walking both ways. While he expected Sammy to stay interested in his studies, he still wanted him to fly under the radar and never attract attention to himself. He wasn't allowed to learn how to ride a bike, which was perhaps the worst rule as all of Sammy's cool peers at school were starting to learn how to ride them.

One day during recess, Sammy happens to mention his current predicament to a small group of fascinated kids by the swings, and almost immediately a kid named Tommy offers to let Sammy borrow his bike until he can ride it. While his father's rule burns at the front of his mind, Sammy desperately wants to establish his place among these kids, meaning he would need to learn this particular skill.

The next Friday, Tommy drops off his blue bike in the evening at the motel's rusty bike rack.

On Saturday, Dean needs to visit a small grocery store down the street so, after promising to stay safely inside to motel room, Sammy takes this opportunity to take the bike out to the nearby park. He doesn't ask Dean for help because this is something he feels he needs to do for himself, he needs to prove that even though he can't figure out the certain things his family chooses to hide from him, he can still learn how to ride a bike. Besides, Dean is always a stickler for Dad's rules and Sammy can't risk their dad learning about his secret endeavor.

At first, Sammy tries getting his balance on the tall seat, tipping sideways multiple times before he can finally remain upright for more than one second at a time. Then, he rolls down the paved pathway while using the tips of his toes to propel himself slowly forward until he is satisfied with his success. Then, Sammy braces himself at the top of a long, sloping hill that eventually evens out near a small collection of tall trees. Taking one last deep breath to sooth his shaky nerves, Sammy pushes forward and starts coasting down the sloping pavement.

For a while, Sammy is proud of himself for remaining steady for so long without even putting his feet on the ground. He loves the freedom he feels as he sails through the cool air and listens to the soft whir of his tires spinning. No one else is on the trail, so he doesn't have to worry about swerving to avoid unsuspecting joggers.

But things take a turn for the worst when the path starts to even out. As he loses his momentum the short hill had provided, Sammy realizes he might be too short to even attempt to push the pedals in a full rotation. As panic runs his peace and settles guiltily in his heart, he finds himself drifting closely to the line of trees. With fear sending shock through his bones, Sammy swerves sharply away.

The result is disastrous. The blue bike flies out from under his small body, bouncing awkwardly along the pavement before coming to a stop about ten feet away, the front tire still spinning from its wild ride. Sammy lands on his knees, sliding roughly across the ground as the pavement digs painfully into his skin and likely leaves a mess of debris behind. Sammy comes to a halt and falls back, stretching out his legs in front of him. His jeans are torn at the knees, revealing the bloodied and dirty flesh partially covered by tattered cloth.

It feels like fir is burning across his skin. He's all alone out here, hurting and scared and ashamed for having failed so badly. He can't help himself.

Sammy cries.

He sobs in the middle of that path, long after the tire has stopped turning. Tears make his eyes puffy and his vision blurry and his breath hiccups painfully with every broken gasp for air. Oh, how desperately he wants someone to come find him and make the pain go away.

He wishes he had a mom to save him.

But he doesn't, and no one will even want to come and fix his stupid mistakes.

"Sammy!" A familiar voice calls from just over the hill.

Sammy can't respond for he is still balling his eyes out.

"Sammy! You out here?" Dean yells.

He whimpers and chokes a little. "Over here."

Dean make sit over the peak of the hill and starts sprinting to his little brother, coming to a hasty stop and quickly kneeling down next to him. Sammy turns his face away, trying and failing to hide his shameful tears. Out of the corner of his eyes, he can see Dean's hands hovering uncertainly over his brother's wounds.

"Oh, Sammy, what happened?" Dean asks.

The younger brother sniffs and hiccups, his voice stuttering nervously with every shaky breath. "I-I tried to r-ride the bike t-that Tommy let me use, b-but I couldn't do it and now h-he'll hate me y-you and Dad are gonna hate me too!" A fresh wave of tears break free.

"Hey, hey, it's okay." Dean assures him and Sammy pauses for a moment. "No ones gonna hate you!"

Sammy shakes his head furiously. "N-n-no! I ruin everything!"

"No you don't!" Dean shifts a little against the pavement. "We're gonna get you back to the room and everything will be fine."

"It hurts." Sammy admits. "I can't get up."

"That's fine, you're gonna be fine." Dean says. He moves to scoop his brother up from the cold ground but Sammy quickly shakes his head.

"The bike!"

"I'll come back for it later, we gotta take care of you first."

Sammy sniffs and whimpers but he doesn't protest as Dean hefts him into his arms, bending his brother's knees carefully over his elbow so he doesn't cause any more pain.

After Dean rises from the pavement, they start walking back along the trail, Sammy starting to calm down as his tears begin to dry and the wreckage gets left behind them. His brother's arms are warm and strong despite his young age. Something about his brother's presence had always been calming, a safe stronghold that makes Sammy wonder is he appreciates it enough as he should. Being carried by his brother, he knows that nothing bad can happen to him.

"So, what were you doing, kiddo?" Dean asks. They're about halfway back to the motel, reaching the edge of the park's trail as Dean adjusts Sammy slightly in his arms.

"All the cool kids ride bikes and I wanna be cool so Tommy let me use his bike."

After a moment of silence, Dean finally seems to figure out what he wants to say. Sammy looks up at his brother's face to see a small smile forming across his lips. "You know, I don't know how to ride a bike."

Sammy's eyes widen. "No way!"

"Yes way." Dean replies with a mocking grim expression now painting his features. "And I'm the coolest of them all."

Sammy scrunches up his face and settles against Dean's arms, contemplating how to complete his mission as the pain in his knees fades from the helpful distraction Dean provides.

"You know, though," Dean continues, smiling at Sammy with that proud smile that means Sammy's done something good. It makes Sammy's heart swell with happiness that chases away the shame from before. As he is carefully carried by the safe stronghold that is his brother, Sammy can't help but smile back. "When you're all better, we can learn how to ride bikes together."

Sammy nods vigorously before letting his head falls softly against his brother's shoulder. "Thank you, Dean."

"Anytime, Sammy. Anytime."