Sam didn't speak until they pulled up in front of the house. "Is Leslie here?"

John shifted, looking guilty. "She really wanted to be, Sam. But she had an assignment that took her out of town."

Sam nodded, secretly relieved. He was confused and angry and not understanding how his family could have just left him in the detention center to rot for almost a whole week, and he suspected that Leslie was somehow behind it.

Dean studied his brother, reading his thoughts. When Sam looked up, Dean smiled, "Come on, kiddo. Let's get you inside. Shallie has been driving us all crazy, missing you."

John stepped out from behind the wheel. "Pizza sound good? I'll order."

When both boys nodded, he bounded up the steps, slamming the screen door behind him.

When Dean started to follow, Sam stopped him with a softly spoken word, "Dean."

The older boy turned back around, "What, Sammy?"

Sam bit his lip, debating, then he took the plunge. "What … what took so long? I mean … I … I called you six days ago, Dean. You didn't pick up. Your phone didn't even pick up. And then I called Leslie, and she promised she'd be right down to get me. What happened?"

The sudden, overwhelming guilt that appeared on Dean's face made Sam feel physically ill, and he wished he hadn't asked.

"Sammy, I'm so sorry. I don't know how I missed your call. My phone was being stupid or something. You don't know how it felt to realize that by the time I got there, it was too late. I was out at that detention center every day. I swear. They wouldn't let me near you, and I tried, Sam. I really did." He looked away, swallowing. "I know it's not enough. It's not an excuse for leaving you there. I'll never forgive myself."

Sam nodded. "But what happened to Leslie? I talked to her, Dean! I told her what was going on, and she promised me she'd be there."

Dean looked torn between being sad and being pissed. He shook his head. "I don't know for sure, Sam. She swears up and down that she thought I'd gotten you out already. I don't … I just … I don't know. Somebody, somewhere dropped the ball. And I don't know if it was Leslie or the cops." He studied his little brother. "It's not right that you had to pay the price for whatever went wrong. And I promise you, I'll get to the bottom of it all. I will. Dad's talking about suing the city. You're underage Sam. They probably weren't supposed to keep you at all. I mean, what did they do that night?"

Sam leaned against the grill of the Impala and thought back.

They, um, they fingerprinted me and took my picture. They handcuffed me to a chair and wouldn't let me call you for hours. I was sc-scared, Dean." He looked wide-eyed as his brother. "I thought they were going to let me go. That whole time, I thought someone would figure out it was just a dumb mistake and let me go. They didn't even read me my rights. Then someone came and unlocked my cuffs, and they took me to the bathroom and let me get a drink of water, then they cuffed my ankles too and loaded me into a van and took me to that … that place."

Dean grew angrier by the minute as he listened to Sam describe his ordeal. He was fairly certain his brother's rights had been violated, but they wouldn't know for sure until they talked with Sam's new lawyer tomorrow.

Dean nodded, trying to appear calm. "And then what, Sam?"

But Sam shook his head. "I don't want to talk about that place, Dean. I don't want to ever think about it again. I don't know how people survive in places like that. I'd go crazy. I would."

Dean swiped at his eyes. "Well, you don't have to ever worry about it again, okay? They dropped all the charges against you, and Dad will make them expunge your record too. You can count on that."

Sam nodded, then spoke up shyly, "Hey, uh, Dean?"

"Yeah, Sammy?"

Sam couldn't work up his courage to ask his next question. But he was pretty sure Dean would know the answer, and he was genuinely curious.

"What is it? Come on. You can tell me anything, Sammy. You know that."

Sam plunged ahead, "That … that boy back there when we were leaving. I don't understand what he was saying. Why did he call me a girl and baby and stuff? What did he mean that I was riding with him? He said something like that in the shower too - that he'd take care of me if I rode with him?"

Dean's face turned to stone, "That little bastard was the one who gave you trouble in the shower?"

Sam nodded.

Dean drew close, studying his brother's face. "Sam, look at me. You telling me the truth about what happened in there? Just him giving you a hard time and you giving him a beat down? Nothing else?"

Sam swallowed and nodded.

"So the little bastard never touched you? He never put his hands on you?"

Sam thought about that. "Well, he pushed me into the wall and pressed his arm into my throat. I think he was trying to choke me out, but didn't know how to do it right."

Dean's eyes closed as he struggled to compose himself. When he thought of what had nearly happened …

And then he leaned in like he wanted to … to kiss me or something. That's when I panicked and started hitting him. But I don't … why'd he call me a girl? Because of my hair?"

Dean wanted to cry at his little brother's innocence - innocence that had almost been tarnished forever. He considered his next words carefully.

"It's just prison-speak, I guess, Sammy." He lied, not wanting the same images in Sam's head that were currently beating around inside his own. "I think they say that stuff to sound tough. You know - to scare the new kids. Just try not to think about him anymore, okay? You're safe now. I'm here. I'd never let anything happen to you. Not on my watch."

"I know."

Dean smiled, pushing his fury to the back of his mind for the time being. But the images Sam's questions put into his head wouldn't be quieted. Whenever he pictured his small, slight brother up against the wall of some dingy shower with that dude's arm to his throat … Well, he really wanted to kill someone - preferably whoever was responsible for sending Sam to that hellhole in the first place.

Whoever that was, their time was coming.

Author's Note: Thanks, everyone, for the enthusiastic reception of "The Inconvenience." I love hearing all your thoughts and ideas, and most of them are amazing, and I wish I'd thought of them :) I hope you'll keep on reading and reviewing. Enjoy the story :)