A/N: Well, the cuteness continues! I'm really broadening Sammy up in this one. Kind of throwing the boys into the realworld head first. Personally, I think this is my best chapter so far! It's certainly the longest I've written!
Special thanks to sokerfreek922 for betaing, your awesome! 3 And of course to all of you that reviewed! I love you all so much for that!
11
Sam awakes alone in the backseat of the Impala. The blanket and Dean's jacket lie on top of him. He can feel all the sweat that's making his clothes stick to his body. He's shivering from the cold and yanks both things off him. He sits up in the seat and half expects Dean to be sitting up in the front seat where he would be lying trying to get some sleep.
Instead, Sam's met with an empty car.
Before falling into a panic, Sam looks around and out the windows. He can tell that he's in a parking lot, in a far and empty away side of the parking lot. All the way to his left, a good thirty yards away, is a highly lighted and animated bar.
"What's Dean doing in a bar?" Sam asks out loud. He's about to go and try to look for him, but then he remembers how not fond of drunks he is and decides to remain put.
Sam's sitting in the car for a good ten minutes before he starts to fall back to sleep. Then, instantly he's awake again when he hears someone trying to get into the car. He jolts up frantically and wonders where the hell the weapons went when Dean pops his head into the car.
"Hey, you're up!" he says as he slides into the front seat and closes the door.
"Where were you?" Sam yells in a groggy, sleep filled voice.
"In there, dummy," Dean says pointing behind him. He stuffs something into the glove compartment and Sam's watching his every move.
"What was that?" he asks.
"Dude, chill," Dean says looking back to him. He then reaches over and feels Sammy's forehead. Sam swats his hand away. Dean sighs. "Look, kid, I'm sorry I left you here alone, okay. But you were sleeping and I wasn't going to be long anyway. Besides, you're too young to be in a place like this."
"So are you!"
"I am." Dean agrees, and then he pulls out an ID and smirks. "Brad Rufus, however, just celebrated his twenty-first birthday two weeks ago." Sam reaches over and takes the id from his hand. He's inspecting it and it's flawless. For all he knows, Dean could very well be this Brad guy, heck he even looks twenty-one in this picture.
"Where'd you get this?" he asks looking up in awe.
"Made a stop while you were asleep," explains Dean as he flips back over and turns on the engine.
"How'd you get this?" Sam asks looking back down to the card in his hand. Dean pulls out easily from the parking lot. He eases into the roads and doesn't say anything until they're back on the highway. "Dean?"
"Sammy, listen," Dean starts out with a sigh. "You know that things are going to change here on in, right?"
"Yeah. And?"
"And they'll change for the better. Ok?"
"I know that, Dean." Sammy responds, not at all understanding where the conversation is heading.
"Well, you know that what we're doing is illegal too, right?"
"What Dad was doing was illegal, Dean" Sam responds fast. He doesn't want to hear about regrets or turning back. He wants to keep going. Sam wants to be freed from his father at all cost. However, he knows that if Dean decides to head on back, he can't do a damn thing to stop him.
"Yes, it was Sam. But so is this. It's illegal to run away. It's illegal to kidnap someone. Heck, it's illegal to shoot someone…"
"I wasn't kidnapped and we had to run away, Dean. Besides, you only shot him in the arm."
"Sammy," Dean said lowering his head slightly as he tried to continue. "That won't matter in a court of law. It won't even matter that you came willingly. When the news gets out, if I get caught, I go to jail. That's the finer point of this. Got that?"
"But…"
"I know, Sammy. It's not fair. What Dad did to you, to us. What we're going to have to do to keep going. None of this is fair."
"Dean?"
Dean pulled over to a dark slit off the road. He turned off the engine and sat looking forward for a second before speaking.
"How's your fever Sammy?"
"Better," he replies eyeing his brother and wondering about the sudden change of subject.
"Good, good. You hungry or anything?"
"No"
"Ok," Dean says. Then, he turns around and looks directly at his brother. His face is dead serious and Sam's taken aback by it slightly. However, when he next speaks, his voice is gentle and comforting but his words are alarming to the boy.
"Sam, you're still a little kid, okay. And there are a lot of things you don't understand. Not cause you're not smart or anything, but because your still young and all. And you know how I don't let you see a lot of things cause I think you're still too young for them, and you're kind of impressible?" Sam nods slightly; Dean's always telling him that when he's older than he can do a lot more things than he can now. For now, however, he has to be content with what he is allowed to see and do.
"Well, I'm going to be doing a few things that I never want you to do. Like tonight, I don't want you in any bars, ever. Doesn't matter what you're doing in there, ok? Bad things can happen in there and I don't think that you'll handle them too well. Me, I can handle myself pretty good. You, however, have a way of getting into deeper trouble when you try to talk yourself out of things.
"Remember how Dad was when he got drunk?" Dean asks softly. It's not like either of them would ever forget the many and often times that their father came home drunk. Sam nodded slowly and Dean progressed to talk even softer. "Well, the people in bars are like that all the time. You go in there, and you can piss them off real quick. Fights happen in bars all the time and you don't need to be in the middle of them."
"So, what were you doing there?" Sam asked softly. He's not so sure he wants to know, the way the conversation is heading, but he wants to make sure that Dean was okay.
"I…" Dean started out. Truth was, they needed money and Dean knew how to play pool and poker. The best places to win off people with such talents were bars. However, he didn't need Sammy knowing that. "I had to take care of something. Nothing happened and I didn't drink anything, if that's what you're worried about."
"So, you were making like a deal or something?" Sam asked curiously. Dean can see the red of the fever on his face as his brother tilts his head in a curious puppy manner that always puts a smile on Dean's face.
Dean reaches over and touches Sam's forehead again. This time Sam leans into the touch. Dean denounces that Sam was lying. He can tell that the fever is still pretty strong.
"Where'd you get an idea like that?"
"Um, a movie?" Sam says softly. Dean gives him a look that says he probably shouldn't have seen that movie, but it's too late now anyway.
"Yeah, sure. Look, it was nothing like that. And don't worry about it. I'm getting us to McKenzie, and we're getting you well and everything's going to be just fine."
"Ok," Sam says as he leans back into the seat. Dean smiles and nods at him. He turns around then and fumbles with the glove compartment for a second. Sam stretches to try and see into the compartment and what Dean had place there. He didn't get a chance do since Dean soon closed the compartment with the first aid kit in hand.
Dean rummaged through the small box quickly as he reached the Tylenol. He then took out two pills and reached under the seat for a water bottle. He gives both to Sam who makes a face but promptly takes them both in.
"There," Dean says as he puts the kit back into the compartment, again too quickly for Sam to see anything in it. "That should make you feel better."
"What's in there?" Sam asks pointing to the glove compartment. Dean just winks at him.
"Quit being so nosy and get some rest, I think we'll be in Glasgow soon and then we'll spend the night."
"Why there?"
"Half way point." Dean said as he turned around and got the car started and moving again.
Unlike the last time he lied down, Sam can't seem to fall asleep again. Dean can hear him breathing and knows that he's awake. He worries slightly that something really bad might be taking place in the kid and might need medical attention. They have no legal way of giving it to him, but he's pretty sure that with the wad of money he got off that game they'll be good for a few more nights. At least they'll get to McKenzie, and that's all that really matters right now anyways.
Sam isn't talking this time, which only means he's thinking. Dean thinks that's way worse, the kid over thinks as it is. Dean worries enough for the both of them, but God Sammy thinks for them both and then some more. The kid is way too smart for his own good. He isn't lying when he said that the kid was impressible. There are just some things that he doesn't need to think about. Not yet at least.
So Dean does the only thing that he can think of. Soon the Impala was filled with AC/DC's TNT and at least Dean was done with the thinking.
They arrive in Glasgow and Sam wants to get the room but Dean tells him no because he doesn't want him getting out into the cold. So, as Dean gets the room Sam wraps the blanket around him and slipped out the car.
It is so not cold. Kind of pleasant really. Dean just worries too much.
Sam walked over to the trunk of the car and sat on it. Then, he leaned back onto the car and looked up to the darkened sky. Glasgow was a pretty big town and he really doubted that they would be found here even if their father knew they were there. This thought made him feel relaxed and happy.
Sam heard some movement coming his way, but the medicine he had taken a mere half hour before must have been taking its toll on him because all he did was open his eyes and tilt his head towards the sounds. In all actuality, he was ready for Dean to come and yank him of the trunk and tell him that he should have stayed in the car, unless of course he wished to die of pneumonia. Instead he found himself dangerously close to an elderly lady that dressed as if she was still in her twenties.
"Hey, stud," she said as she approached him. "Whatcha doing here by your lonesome?" she said plopping down right besides him on the trunk.
"No…nothing," stuttered Sam. He tugged the blanket tighter around him.
"Well, this ain't the kind of place to do nothing, stud. Lots to do around here. Kids like you could go for a real good time." She said as she started fingering his blanket.
Now, Sam is eleven and has only a small amount of clue what this lady's talking about. He knows for sure however, that he wants to be no part of it. He decides he's ready now for Dean to come back and save him, even if he is going to kick his ass for this. At least the old lady will go away.
"I know a ton of neat places to go. I'm sure I know where a few kids your age would be at a time like this. Could make friends real quick. It's really such a great town." And she's talking real low now, but he can hear her just fine because she's coming in closer to him now. She smells like his Dad and Sam knows instantly that she's drunk. He decides that he doesn't even care if Dean belts him for his stupidity and he'll live in the damn car if Dean so wishes, just as long as he comes and saves him!
"I know a few places and tricks that'll make you a man in a minute, hun." She whispers right into his ear and Sam thinks he heard himself whimper.
"No thanks, he's so not interested. But I'm sure there's some patrol car around here that'll be delighted to get this call in." And Sam would be grinning from ear to ear for hearing his brother's voice.
Scary lady turns around and looks over the car towards Dean. He appears besides Sam in an instant and they both looked pissed. However, that threat must have sunk in because then she's all freaky smiles again and hops off the trunk. She glances at Sam, or rather the mop of hair remaining above the blanket's shield, and then glares at Dean before she leaves the way she came.
Dean tugs on Sam's hair upwards, forcing him to leave the blanket. The kid tries his most charming 'thank you smile, throws in his patent puppy eyes and hopes they work on his brother. Of course, it's a no go and Dean looks between slightly pissed and very worried to very pissed and slightly worried.
Dean tugs on Sam's ear and yanks him off the trunk, then he pushes him towards the car and Sam quickly slips into the back seat. Dean drives to their room and parks right in front of their door. Then he gets the bags from the trunk and on his way to the door knocks on the window for Sam to follow.
Quickly Dean opens the door and motions for Sam to enter and then closes the door behind him. Sam turns on the light and apparently they only had single beds left. That's good though, because even if Dean's mad, he gets to sleep with him and then he'll feel safe. Not that Dean would ever not let him come to his bed, but if he's mad at him, then Sam's a little reluctant to ask.
Sam goes over to the bed and sits down waiting for the inevitable. Dean dumps their bags by the door and flops down on the bed edge closest to the door.
"You know, for a smart kid, you're a real dumbass."
Sam turns over to look and him. Dean has his eyes closed and his arms are behind his head. His legs are crossed at the ankle and he's shaking them slightly. It's not very often, but Sam could swear that Dean looks relaxed.
"Lie down and go to sleep Sammy," he says and there's a finality tone to his voice that oddly enough means quite the opposite.
Sam doesn't want to go to sleep just yet. He really needs to use the bathroom. But Dean still sounds really mad and so he's crawling towards the pillows.
"Go pee first. God, I swear you're slow." And he doesn't care how Dean knew, but he's grateful and ran into the bathroom before he can think to say thank you - which Dean would just laugh at anyway.
Sam comes out of the bathroom and Dean's already in bed with his clothes piled by the side of the bed. Sam takes off his own clothes and blanket, drops them on the table and gets into the warmth of the sheets.
He's lying on the edge of the bed all for a minute before he decides 'Screw it' and crawls over besides Dean. Dean's already on his back, and Sam lies down on his shoulder and closes his eyes.
"Don't I need more medicine?" he asks softly to not disturb the night.
"Naw, I gave you some a little while ago. Should get you through the night. If you wake up sick, then I'll give you some more."
They're still for a few minutes and then Dean turns to him. He wraps his arm around Sam's small frame and Sam didn't notice he was shivering. Dean's shh'ing him softly in his ear and it's practically a lullaby to him.
He's still but he's crying now and when did that happen? He clings to Dean's arm like the life preserver it is. Within seconds he's fine and releases Dean's arm. Dean's still there though, like always and with everything.
"Don't do something stupid like that again, got it?" Dean whispers into his ear and it's supposed to be a threat, but Sam can hear the worry and the love in it. He nods softly against Dean's chin and he's nodding off to sleep. The last thing that he can feel is Dean pressing a kiss into his hair and clinging to him tighter.
The last words he hears are Dean's as they penetrate into his hair. "Can't let anything bad get you, squirt."
Well, I hope you like this! PBISF, so plz review!