Title: Need Some Light [3/?]

Author: Ailendolin

Rating: PG-13 … just to be sure.

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural and do not make any money with this story. I also don't own the song mentioned in this chapter

Summary: Tag to Jump The Shark. What if Adam hadn't been dead when Dean found him?

Word count: 3430

Characters/Pairing: Adam, Dean, Sam, Bobby & Rumsfeld

Warnings/Spoilers: Spoilers for Jump The Shark. Story goes AU in the middle of the episode. Also, there is some cursing and I don't have any medical knowledge whatsoever so mistakes are bound to happen.

Author's Notes:
Update time! Again. I just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I am so glad you guys like this story!
Also, I don't know when the next chapter will be up since the deadline for my bachelor's thesis approaches and I still have a lot to do. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter here as much as I did writing it!

Chapter 3:

They woke up late the next day which was no surprise considering it had been nearly dawn when Dean had finally gone to sleep. He had been so tired that he had fallen asleep almost as soon as his head had hit the pillow that he had liberated from Sam, not even remotely caring that he was sleeping on an ugly worn-down carpet instead of a bed.

The clock read 12:13 when Dean opened his eyes. He sat up with a yawn which quickly morphed into a groan as his body protested the movement. Sleeping on the ground was definitely something he was too old for Dean decided and looked towards the bed on his left. Sam smiled and waved at him over his laptop that was resting on his crossed legs, way too happy for Dean's liking.

"Morning, starshine … the Earth says hello," Sam said, a smirk on his lips.

"Whatever, Willy Wonka," Dean replied and threw his pillow at him, causing Sam to duck and chuckle quietly. When Dean looked at the other bed he saw that Adam was still asleep. His youngest brother was lying exactly the way he had when he had fallen asleep, with his back to the wall and the blanket covering him from head to toe. Dean wondered if Sam had also noticed that Adam seemed to unconsciously occupy only the smallest amount of space on the bed. He thought about mentioning it when Sam said, "So, what's the plan for today?"

Dean shrugged. "We should get out of Minnesota," he said, "In case the cops somehow discover more than they should."

"Sounds good," Sam said and closed his laptop. "Look, I thought maybe we could go to Bobby's since there's no new case so far? You know, rest a bit, give Adam time to come to terms with everything that's happened."

"You offering to explain him," Dean jerked his thumb towards the other bed, "To Bobby?"

Sam grimaced but nodded. "Can't say I'm looking forward to it but yeah, I'll tell him. It's not like we can keep this from him forever, anyway."

"Well, good luck with that," Dean grinned. "I'll make sure to be far away when you get to the part where you tell him how we didn't manage to recognize a freaking ghoul."

"It's not like they were normal ghouls …" Sam muttered.

Dean laughed. He really did not envy Sam the job of telling Bobby about this whole mess. Bobby would be anything but pleased to learn he had another surrogate grandson and one at that who had no experience in hunting and knew nothing about their way of living. And he would probably be pissed that John never told him about Adam. Not that Dean blamed him.

"How about we wake sleeping beauty over there and get on the road then?" Dean asked. "I for one have spent enough time in this magnificently splendid room."

Sam nodded and Dean stood up and went over to Adam's bed.

"Adam?" he asked quietly so as not to startle him. "Wake up, Adam. Time to go."

Sleepy grey-blue eyes opened and squinted at Dean. After a moment Adam groaned and pulled the blanket over his head. Both Sam and Dean laughed.

"Come on, Adam, you can sleep some more in the car if you want," Sam said smiling and packed up his laptop.

"Where are we going?" Adam asked. One eye peeked out from under the blanket and Adam regarded his brothers curiously.

"We're gonna visit Uncle Bobby," Dean explained. Adam pulled the blanket back down and gingerly sat up. Dean made a mental note to check his injuries later.

"We have an uncle?" he asked, voice full of wonder. Dean looked helplessly at Sam.

"Not exactly, Adam," Sam said and Adam's face fell. "He's not really our uncle. Mom and Dad didn't have any siblings. But Bobby's always been there and he's as good as."

"He's like an honorary uncle to us," Dean continued. "He's family."

"Oh." Adam looked down at his hands which were fidgeting with the blanket. "What's he like?"

"Well," Dean said with a grin, "He may act a little gruff and annoyed but he's really a great big softie. So don't worry if he doesn't welcome you with open arms right away and instead forces you to drink holy water. It's just him being himself."

"Okay …" Adam said, looking slightly wary.

"He's really not so bad, once you get to know him," Sam added. "He owns a salvage yard. And he's got a dog, Rumsfeld."

Dean chuckled. "Yeah, Rumsfeld will definitely like you. He likes everyone. Needless to say, Bobby was less than pleased about that since Rumsfeld was supposed to be a guard dog. Rumsfeld can look kind of scary, but that's about it. He's a lot like Bobby, come to think about it," Dean mused. "Do you like dogs?" He added.

Adam nodded. "Yeah, but we never had one. Mom …" Adam swallowed and looked down. "Mom," he continued, more quietly, "She always had to work a lot. We didn't have time for a dog and I knew that but I still begged her every year to get me one for Christmas."

He smiled sadly, lost in memories and Dean knew how that felt, wishing for something impossible. Sam had been the same when they were little, always wanting a dog. The only thing Dean had ever wished for was for his Mom to come back. He guessed that Adam's wish this year would be similar.

The silence in the room was broken by the sound of Sam's cell phone. Sam picked it up and grimaced when he saw the caller ID.

"Speak of the devil," he said and sighed. "It's Bobby. I suppose I can't put that phone call off much longer."

Dean gave him the thumbs up and Sam just rolled his eyes and opened the phone.

"Hey Bobby! – Yeah, sorry we haven't called in a while, we've been … - Yeah, I know. Sorry. Look, we're actually not far away from you. Do you mind if we come visit you? – No, we didn't do anything stupid, we just … - No, we're alright, we're not hurt …"

At this point Adam looked skeptically at Dean and pointed at the bandages covering his own body and Sam's arms. Dean just shrugged, still grinning.

"No point in ticking him off already," he whispered. They turned back to listen to Sam's conversation.

"Bobby," Sam said, desperate, "We just … How's Rumsfeld?"

"Don't you try change the subject, boy!"

All three Winchesters cringed. Even Dean and Adam could clearly hear Bobby's voice over the phone. He did not sound amused.

Sam slowly brought the phone back to his ear. "Sorry," he said sheepishly, "We … Bobby, we've got to talk. And … - No, it's nothing bad. No deals, no possessions or anything like that. We just need to tell you something and we need to tell it personally, not over the phone. So, is it okay if we're there in … about two hours?"

Sam looked questioningly at Dean who nodded.

"Yeah," Sam continued, "in two hours. – Alright, thanks Bobby and I promise we'll explain everything. Oh, and we're bringing someone with us. His name's Adam. – No he's not a demon and he's not an angel. We'll explain later, okay? – Yeah, see you."

Sam shut the phone and sighed in relief.

"That went surprisingly well," Dean commented. Sam glared at him.

"Next time we play Rock, Paper, Scissors over who has to phone him."

"Hey," Dean said, "You offered to tell him. Don't blame me."

"You know," Adam said and his brothers turned to look at him, "Uncle Bobby sure seems like a nice fella. Can't wait to meet him."

Dean had to laugh at the sarcasm in his youngest brother's voice. It was a good sign Adam had not lost his humor.

"You'll get your chance. Now," he added and stood up, "How do you two feel? We're not getting on the road before I'm sure you're alright and I don't have to stop at the next hospital because one of you is bleeding out in my car. Sam?"

Dean looked expectantly at Sam who rolled his eyes.

"I'm fine, Dean," Sam said, "I already checked my wounds while you were still getting your beauty sleep. They haven't reopened. I think I'm good until we get to Bobby's."

"Alright. Adam?"

Adam shrugged. "I'm feeling pretty sore, like I've been hit by a truck," he confessed. "And I'd still rather not move my shoulders or arms. But other than that I'm okay."

"Good," Dean said, "Just let me check if any of your wounds have reopened over night and bled through the bandage."

Dean gently helped Adam out of his shirt and looked at the white bandages covering Adam's chest and back.

"No blood, that's good," Dean said and smiled at Adam. He picked up Adam's duffel and rummaged through it until he found a button-down shirt.

"I hope you like blue," he smirked and without waiting for a reply he helped his youngest brother into the shirt, careful not to touch his shoulders.

"Thanks," Adam said.

"No problem," Dean replied. "Now, how about we get ready? Don't want to keep Uncle Bobby waiting."

He grinned at his brothers. Adam tried to look cheerful. Sam just groaned.

SPN

After stopping at a local diner to get something to eat which consisted of a burger for Dean, a salad for Sam and French fries for Adam they drove west on the I-90 towards South Dakota.

"Where exactly does Bobby live?" Adam asked when they changed onto the I-229 and drove south. Scorpion's 'The Good Die Young' was playing on the radio in the background.

"In the middle of nowhere near Sioux Falls," Sam explained and smiled over his shoulder at Adam. "We should be there in about half an hour or so."

"So, anything else I should know about Bobby? He's not going to shoot me to see if I'm a monster, right?" Adam asked.

Dean could not help but laugh at the seriousness in Adam's voice.

"Fortunately, there are other ways to test you, Adam," Dean said and accelerated slightly. "We weren't joking about the Holy Water. Bobby actually threw some in my face once and he usually spices his drinks with it."

"Holy Water is a good way to see if someone is possessed by a demon," Sam added. "It's like acid for them but totally harmless for humans. Demons also don't like the word 'Christo'."

"And they can't cross lines of salt or iron," Dean said. He smirked. "They get really pissed when you hit them with those."

Adam looked slightly unsure yet determined. "So, I guess I've got a lot to learn, then."

Sam turned around in his seat and Dean glanced at Adam through the rearview mirror.

"Adam," Sam began, "We don't want to force this on you. Our lives are full of monsters. Demons are just the beginning of a long list of evil things that lurk out there and will stop at nothing to hurt people. It's not a great way to spend your life, believe me. We're always on the run from the police, can't have any friends and don't have a home. So, if you want out, at any point, I want you to tell us okay?"

Adam frowned and the look on his face was the same Sam always used when he thought Dean was being an idiot.

"I don't want out, Sam," Adam said. "I know monsters aren't nice. I've shared a crypt with two ghouls for a few days, if you recall." Adam shuddered at the memory. "And I know I don't have any experience but I want this to work and I promise I'll do my best to make it work. Please, you're all the family I have left. I can't go back to my life after what happened."

"And you don't have to," Dean said firmly and briefly locked eyes with Adam before he turned his gaze back to the road. "We're not kicking you out. Sam just wanted to give you the chance to choose what to do."

Adam looked apologetically at Sam. "Sorry," he said quietly. "I appreciate that, I really do. It's just … I've just found you two. I don't want to be left behind. I …" he paused for a moment. "I need to know what else is out there."

Sam nodded. "Don't worry, we'll teach you everything. How to shoot a gun, how to kill monsters …"

"How to hustle pool," Dean butted in. He laughed when Sam rolled his eyes. "We'll teach you everything you need to know to survive is what Sam's trying to say," he added.

"Do you know Latin?" Sam asked.

"I've had a course in high school," Adam said, clearly not understanding why that was important.

"Good, that should make things easier. Latin is used in a lot of exorcisms," Sam explained.

"Is this the wrong moment to mention that I failed that class?" Adam asked sheepishly. Sam looked like someone downed him in cold water while Dean laughed.

"Don't worry, kiddo," he said, "You'll get the hang of it. You just have to recite the words, not understand them."

"Okay, that sounds manageable," Adam said relieved.

They reached the outskirts of Sioux Falls a few minutes later. Dean did not drive them into the city but turned the Impala onto a dirty road that led, as Sam had promised, into the middle of nowhere.

"We're there," Dean announced as they passed under a sign that said 'Singer Auto Salvage'. Broken cars stood on either side of the driveway as they made their way to Bobby's house. A Rottweiler was lying on the front porch and tilted his head to the side as he saw the car approach. The gesture reminded Dean of Castiel.

Dean killed the engine and turned around to Adam. "Welcome to the only place beside the Impala that we can call home."

"Looks … nice," Adam said.

Dean grinned. "Come on, let's go meet Rumsfeld. Sam can go tell Bobby we're here."

Sam did not look overtly enthusiastic about the idea but got out of the car anyway. He briefly stopped to scratch Rumsfeld behind the ears before he vanished into the house. Dean and Adam followed him at a slower pace.

"Hey, buddy!" Dean said and crouched down in front of Rumsfeld. "Have you missed me?"

The dog happily licked Dean's face in response.

"Yeah, I've missed you, too." Dean scratched Rumsfeld behind the ears, much like Sam had done only moments ago. "There's someone I'd like you to meet," he told the dog. "Rumsfeld, meet Adam."

Dean gestured for Adam to come closer and the youngest Winchester carefully sat down on the front porch next to the Rottweiler.

"Hi, Rumsfeld," Adam said. He held out his hand for Rumsfeld to sniff which the dog promptly did. After a moment the sniffing turned into licking and Dean grinned.

"See, told you he likes everyone. You're a good dog, right, Rumsfeld?"

Rumsfeld barked in agreement and lay down on his back, offering Dean and Adam his belly for scratching.

"Well, that depends on who you ask," a new voice said and both Dean and Adam looked up to see Sam standing in the doorway with Bobby.

"Hey, Bobby." Dean stood up and hugged the older man. "How's it going?"

"Better than for you, apparently." He looked pointedly at the bandages on Sam's arms. "Mind telling me what happened and who that kid is?"

Bobby glared at Adam who immediately stood up, brushed his hands off on his jeans and offered one to Bobby.

"I'm Adam, sir. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Bobby looked Adam up and down. He did not take the offered hand and instead turned towards Dean with a scowl on his face.

"If you're here to tell me you've knocked up some girl when you were twelve, I don't want to hear it," Bobby said. "That boy looks like a mini-you."

Dean and Adam glanced at each other, shifting uncomfortably, and Dean could see out of the corner of his eye that Sam had trouble keeping a straight face. So much for explaining things to Bobby, he thought.

"Don't be ridiculous, Bobby," Dean said, "Adam's not my son. I've always used protection. Most of the time, anyway," he added. Bobby and Sam grimaced.

"Dude, too much information," Sam said and Dean just shrugged.

"Anyway," Dean continued, "Let's go inside and we'll explain things, okay?"

"Alright," Bobby said, grudgingly, "But that better be a damn good explanation, boys."

SPN

"So, let me get this straight," Bobby said slowly, "Adam's your illegitimate half-brother John neglected to tell anyone about and got captured by ghouls, one of which then called you and pretended to be your brother."

"Yep," Dean replied. So far, so good, he thought, at least Bobby's not yelling yet.

"And then," Bobby continued, "You two idjits separated, resulting in Dean getting trapped in a crypt and finding Adam and Sam almost bleeding to death."

All three Winchesters nodded.

"Almost being the key word," Sam added helpfully.

"And all," Bobby went on, ignoring Sam's comment, "Because you failed to recognize a ghoul when it's sitting right in front of you."

"Well," Dean said, defensively, "It's not like we welcomed Ghoul-Adam with open arms. We gave him Holy Water to drink and made him eat with silver cutlery."

"And I've checked his records," Sam added. "Nothing unusual there. And, you know, they stated he was alive. Ghouls usually only go after dead people."

"You've got a point there," Bobby conceded. He sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"So, you're really John Winchester's son?" he asked Adam who nodded, clearly intimidated by Bobby. Dean could not say he blamed him.

"Yes, sir. Although I didn't meet him until I was twelve."

"Oh, drop the 'sir', will you?" Bobby grumbled. "It makes me feel old."

Adam nodded again and both Sam and Dean grinned at him. Their younger brother did not know it yet but Bobby was beginning to warm up to him.

"So, what do you want from me now?" Bobby asked and turned his attention back to Sam and Dean. "I'm too old to babysit."

Adam looked slightly affronted at that and his expression reminded Dean once again of Sam's when Dean used to tell him he was too young for something.

"We'd just like to stay here for a couple of days, Bobby," Sam said. "We need some rest, give our injuries time to heal before we take on the next hunt."

"And Adam needs to learn the basics about hunting," Dean added. "Who better to teach him than you, hm?"

The shocked look Adam sent Dean was downright comical. Bobby, on the other hand, looked flattered even if he tried not to let it show. Sam and Dean shared a triumphant smile.

"I just hope he doesn't turn out to be as bad as you idjits were," Bobby muttered. He then addressed Adam directly. "So, boy, you may be injured but that doesn't mean you can't study. We'll start with a crash course in Angel Lore since that's apparently a hot topic right now. Then you'll be learning all about sigils that will come in handy and you'll better pay attention because I will test you when you least expect it."

Adam could do nothing but nod.

"Have you read the Bible?" Bobby asked.

"Just some chapters," Adam admitted and Bobby rolled his eyes.

"Alright, since the day's almost over anyway I'll go easy on you today. I want you to read the Book of Revelation tonight. Carefully," he added. "You may need it sometime."

He turned towards Sam and Dean. "You two are going to make yourselves useful and make dinner. I've got to pick out a few books for baby brother over there."

With that Bobby left the room and went upstairs leaving the brothers alone in the living room.

"So," Dean said with a smirk, "Still want to become a hunter?"

Adam forced a smile. "Sure. I'm so looking forward to read the Bible. And books. He did say books, didn't he? Plural?"

"I'm afraid so," Dean said, not sounding sympathetic at all.

"It's not as bad as it sounds, Adam," Sam commented. "Bobby's books are actually quite interesting."

"Yeah," Dean mumbled, "For someone who loves to spend their free time in libraries, maybe."

"Shut up, Dean."

TBC