Disclaimer: I don't own anything Supernatural or whatnot, it is all property of the CW11 network. So don't sue and please don't be offended by the language cause it's gonna be colorful to say the least.
Chapter 11
" You have come a long way. I am extremely proud of each of you and salute all pf you for everything you have achieved here in your training. As you prepare to depart Parris Island, allow me to offer you this simple advice. Always remember who you are, what you are, and, most importantly, what you have the potential to become. I wish you good luck, Godspeed, and Semper Fidelis."
The voice of the Battalion Commander's voice rang over the speaker system, amplifying it so that all who stood on the Parade Deck and all who stood in the stands could here him.
" Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the newest Marines of our Corps."
The massive crowd that occupied the stands let loose a thunderous roar as they cheered for the graduating class of 2001.
From where he stood tall and silent, as was required for everyone until they were formally dismissed, Sam felt both exhileration and melancholy.
He did it, he was a full Marine after today.
He was a Lance Corporal in the USMC.
He'd just graduated with high honors from Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Parris Island, South Carolina.
But, just as there was joy filling his heart, there was also sorrow, and anxiety.
His family wasn't among those in the stands. His father and big brother were either working a job concerning the Supernatural or they found out he wasn't attending Stanford and were turning the whole of the United States of America upside down looking for him.
Sam couldn't help but secretly hope they never found him, he'd survived thirteen weeks of Basic Training, he taken hell from his Drill Sergeants without so much as a whisper protect or complaint, endless days and nights spent studying and learning about the USMC, he'd passed every test through at him and yet...
He didn't think he would be able to survive the wrath of Dean or the wrath of John Winchester if they ever did find out that their little Sammy became a Marine and was gonna be off to fight in the newly declared war following the 9/11 Terror attacks that had punched a devastating hole in the New York City skyline.
Dean and John would both be furious... and terrified.
And with good reason, people go to war, not all of them come back, not all of them come home.
On top of all that, he was stuck here at Parris Island because no one had come for him. Hell, nobody knew they had to come to pick him up.
Crap. Just crap.
Sam quickly banished those thoughts of what the future held in store for him, for all of his fellow Marines as he watched Head Drill Sergeant Mike Goodman step forward.
Sergeant Goodman took a moment to gaze upon the faces of all the fine young men who were now memberes of the U.S. Marine Corp.
The Sergeant's eyes stopped when they fell on the tall, young Lance Corporal standing at the head of the first platoon.
Goodman's eyes lingered on Sam for a few moments before he turned his gaze forward.
After thirteen weeks spent training and guiding all of these now Graduated young Marines, it was time for Goodman to give his final order as the Head Drill Sergeant of this entire company.
Goodman inhaled deeply and on the exhale, his voice boomed.
" DISMISSED!!!"
There was silence for a split second before the five hundred plus voices, including a certain Lance Corporal's all rose up as one in a thunderous roar.
" OORAH!!!"
This thunderous roar was quickly followed by the happy cheers, claps, and yells of all the people in the stands.
As they all broke formation and headed for the stands, Sam had it in mind to quietly slip away and head back to barracks or go somewhere quiet and be alone.
He was about to take the first step away from all the joyful families reuniting when a firm, solid hand wrapped around his right arm in a vice-like grip.
Sam turned his head and found himself face to face with the visage of a very determined and serious looking Rashad Mathers. There was a knowing look in Rashad's eyes, as well as sadness as the PFC began to pull Lance Corporal Winchester with him towards the waiting Mathers family.
" C'mon, Grandma Rose wants to see us both." Said Rashad, carefully not meeting Sam's eyes.
Sam was silent for a moment as he battled back the all too familiar burn of tears behind his eyes. He cleared his contricting throat before he spoke.
" Well then, we can't keep her waiting now, can we?"
Rashad nodded and gave Sam's arm a small squeeze before letting go as the two newly Graduated Marines were surrounded by the Mathers family.
While Rashad went off to hug his Grandmother, the other members of his family all doted over Sam, smiling, taking pictures, giving him hugs and pats on the back, just showering him with some much needed love.
Eventhough they'd only met the youngest Winchester yesterday on Family Day, they'd all instantly taken a shine to the quiet, respectful, if somewhat sad young man. On top of that it wasn't very hard for all the women in Rashad's family to fall in love with the famous dimpled smile and those deep, moss-green eyes.
Rashad had filled them in on the real reason why Sam was without his family, they kept silent but, they'd all collectively agreed to be family to this lone young Marine.
Then, Grandma Rose slowly made her way over to the group that had been surrounding Sam, with Rashad's arm wrapped around her for extra support.
The group around Sam parted and made way for the elderly matriarch of their family as she slowly came into their midsts.
Sam took a slow, almost hesitant step to meet Grandma Rose halfway.
Sam stood tall and silent as Rose looked him over with a serious eye. The old woman took another step, gently shrugging off Rashad's arm from her shoulders as her gnarled hands reached out till they came to light rest over Sam's chest. Silently, these weathered hands lightly grazed over the Lance Corporal's uniform. There was this serene look on Grandma Rose's face as she did this, before her weathered hands traveled upwards, moving to hold Sam's face.
Sam leaned down to make this action easier for the elderly lady.
The youngest Winchester smiled softly as he leaned in to the warm, gentle touch.
" Do I have your approval Ma'am?" Asked Sam softly, breaking the silence as one of his hands gently snaked up to cover one of Grandma Rose's where it was holding one of his cheeks.
The serene look on the old one's face changed into a huge grin that lit up her weathered and wrinkly face as she too spoke for the first time.
" Come here Child." Came the Grandmother's soft, slightly shaky voice as she gently pulled Sam into a hug.
Sam went willingly into Grandma Rose's embrace, gently wrapping his own arms around the old woman, careful that his grasp was not too tight as to cause pain to here frail form.
" Of course you have my approval. I'm very proud of you, so very proud of you Sweety." Whispered Grandma Rose as she brought a hand up to gently cup the back of Sam's neck, her hold around the young man was surprisingly firm as she rubbed her other hand over the youngest Winchester's shoulder.
Sam's heart both swelled and bled at these words. Moss-green eyes instantly filled with tears as Sam carefully tightened his embrace around Grandma Rose.
At least he'd made someone proud of him today. Sam painfully swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat before he spoke, but all he could manage was a tight whisper.
" Thank you for saying that Ma'am, it means a lot."
" Hey now, none of that. It's Grandma Rose to you too Baby ya hear?" Said Grandma Rose, her own voice shaking as well.
Around the two of them, their wasn't a single dry eye among the rest of Rashad's family as they took in the tender sight before them.
One of Rashad's aunts had gone so far as too snap off several pictures of what was truely a moment filled to the brim with love.
A moment of love, between a boy without his family, and a Grandma with limitless love in her heart.
After a few more moments of hugging each other tightly, Sam and Grandma Rose finally pulled away from each other.
" Yes Ma'am, I mean... Grandma Rose." Said Sam, looking sheepish at the mother-hen look Grandma Rose gave him after he'd referred to her as Ma'am once again.
" Hey Sam, get your butt over here man!" Came Mark Twombly's voice from where he stood with his baby son Ryan in his arms and his parents standing beside him.
The mock annoyed look on Grandma Rose's face quickly faded and was replaced with a chuckle as Sam leaned in and gave her a small peck on the cheek before he headed off to go and greet another Buddy and his family.
And so, for the better part of two hours, Sam mingled and laughed with his buddies and their families.
But, with each passing minute, the crowd of Marines and their families grew smaller and smaller until finally, only the Mathers family and one Winchester were left.
" Sam, are you sure you won't change your mind and come stay with us for a little while?" Asked Rashad's father Brian.
Rashad and several of his family members sent hopeful looks Sam's way.
Sam shook his head as he replied.
" No, I couldn't impose on you guys like that. Don't worry about me, I'll be alright. I'll just ask for an early transfer to Camp Geiger or, I'll just stay here. It's no problem, really." Insisted Sam, a small pang of guilt going through him as he eyed the disappointment on several faces.
" Sorry guys." He shrugged apologetically.
There was a brief pause before Sam spoke again.
" You guys should get going, you've all got very long drive back to Tennessee ahead of you."
And so, the Mathers family gathered around Sam once again, wishing the young Lance Corporal all the best.
" I'll see ya at Camp Geiger man." Said Rashad as he clasped arms with Sam and gave him a brief, brotherly embrace.
" Yeah, you will. Oh yeah, be sure to bring back some copies of those pictures you guys took." Said Sam.
" Will do." Said Rashad before with a final clap on the shoulder, he walked off to join the rest of his family.
Then, Grandma Rose came forward.
She pulled Sam into a hug once again, and whispered into his ear.
" You take care of yourself Sam, ya here."
" I will. Thank you Grandma Rose."
" And, if it isn't to much to ask, please watch out for my baby Rashad, both during training and when you do go to war. Please, have my baby's back out there."
" I promise I will, you have my word Ma'am."
" Oh, their you go callin' me Ma'am again, makes me sound so old. But besides that, thank you for sayin that Baby, it means a lot." Whispered Grandma Rose before they pulled away from each other.
With a final caress to Sam's cheek, Grandma Rose too went off to join the rest of her family.
Sam watched them as they left, waving until they disappeared around a corner.
Now, there was only one lone marine standing on the Parade Deck.
A feeling of desolation and terrible loneliness descended over Lance Corporal Samuel Winchester that made everything inside him ache.
This had been on of the happiest and saddest days of his entire life.
To his chagrin, Sam felt the walls he'd faught tooth and nail to erect begin to crumble.
Screwing his eyes shut to stem the hot tears bubbling up behind his eyes, Sam pulled off his white cap and all but ran back to the barracks that had been his home for thirteen straight weeks.
Those barracks were now empty, hollow.
Much like how Sam was feeling at the moment as he made his way down the rows of empty, immaculately made cots until he came to the one that was his.
Sam sank down wearily onto the edge of the cot, his head bowed. No longer did he look like the tall, proud young Marine that had stood proud and silent throughout the entire Graduation Ceremony that had ended a couple of hours ago.
Instead, he looked like a heartbroken kid.
In a way, he still was a kid seeing as to how he was still just eighteen years old.
Eighteen years old and now a full member of the United States Marine Corp.
Sam heartache was beyond tears now, he sat dry-eyed and silent save for the sound of his own breathing.
Though he was the picture of stoicism on the outside, inside everything was alight with a vicious agony that had only one remedy, a remedy that was out of his reach.
So lost was Sam in his sorrow, he was drowning in it. He allowed this drowning because there was no one around to watch him as he shattered.
So lost was he, Sam didn't noticed a certain Head Drill Sergeant quietly step into the empty barrack and silently walk down the row of cots towards him.
" Why aren't you on your way home Lance Corporal?"
Sam's head shot up and his eyes grew wide as he found himself staring back at Sergeant Mike Goodman.
He moved to stand when Goodman held up a hand and stayed that action. With a small sigh, Goodman walk over to the cot next to the one Sam was sitting on and sat down so that he was facing the only Marine that remained from the platoon he'd trained since they'd first set foot on Parris Island thirteen whole weeks ago.
There was a pause of silence that seemed to last for ages before Goodman got the coversation started.
" I'm waiting for an answer Lance Corporal Winchester."
Sam averted his gaze to the floor and was about to speak when Goodman cut him off.
" Hey now, look me in the eye when you're talking to me. You're a Marine now, Marines don't stare at their feet."
Sam instantly obeyed and forced his deep, moss-green eyed up from staring at the floor and looked at Sergeant Goodman straight in the eye as he spoke.
" There's no home for me to go back to and... I don't know where my family is and I have no way of finding them sir."
Though his face was set in stone, inside, Goodman felt anger and disgust ripple through him at how anyone could not be there for a boy like Sam? How anyone not be there for the Company Honor Grad and meritoriously awarded Lance Corporal?
" It's not my dad or my brother's fault that they weren't here today, it's mine sir." Said Sam, as though reading Goodman's thoughts.
" What do you mean it's your fault?" Asked a perplexed Goodman as he gazed hard at the young man sitting across from him.
" My family wasn't here today not because they're angry with me, they weren't here because they think I'm in college, they don't know I joined the USMC, they don't know I'm a Marine Sir." Said Sam quietly.
Sam watched as Goodman's face lost it's neutrality and went slack with shock for the first time in all the time Sam had ever known the Sergeant.
" Sweet Lord Jesus, why didn't you tell me this sooner, hell, why didn't you tell me this the first night all of you set foot here Winchester?" Asked Goodman once his voice came back to him, his eyes blazing in alarm.
" Are you gonna have me kicked out because of this?" Asked Sam, his eyes never wavering from those of the shell-shocked man before him.
That stunned Goodman even more but, years of training kicked in and he quickly schooled his features and shook his head, his once rigid posture deflating.
" No, no Lance Corporal, you didn't do anything wrong to the Corps but, you did do wrong to yourself and to your family. Why would you go and deceive them to be here, why didn't you tell them the truth Lance Corporal?" Asked Goodman as his eyes bore holes into Sam.
" They can't know I'm here, or that I'm going off to war. They're better off without me, they're safer. I don't think they'd be proud of me anyway, I think they'd just be pissed as Hell." Said Sam quietly, his eye flickering to the floor before once again meeting Goodman's gaze.
Something flickered with Goodman's hard eyes, but it was there and gone in a flash.
The two Marines sat in silence now, each man contemplating the thoughts that were whirling inside their minds.
It was Sergeant Goodman who broke the silence once again.
He spoke quietly and for the first time in all the time Sam had known the Sergeant, he looked human
" Well, if it means anything; I'm proud of you, I'm proud of you Lance Corporal Winchester, and all that you have accomplished here under my command."
Sam blinked rapidly for a few moments and cleared his constricted throat and spoke the best he could.
" Thank you Sir. What you just said does mean something, it means alot."