Watch Out For Sammy

Chapter 21

Dean tried his best to stay out of trouble. He really did. He did everything Uncle Bobby told him to do and kept his cocky comments to himself. He made sure that Sammy did what he was supposed to do, too. But, as usual, the moon and stars aligned in just the right way and the day before John was due home, Dean found himself in a world of trouble.

In his defense, trouble often came along without any assistance from him. It was almost like he was a magnet for anything and everything that could go wrong. Regardless of his good intentions, things invariably went wrong. And regardless of his careful attempts to cover up his mistakes, someone invariably found out.

Thursday morning started off like any other morning. Bobby was the first to wake up and he always allowed Sam and Dean to sleep in as long as they wanted. He told himself it was to allow the boys to do what normal kids did on Sunday mornings, but the truth of the matter was that he was tired. Taking care of a seven and an eleven year old was something he wasn't used to doing and he was exhausted. Really, really exhausted. Sam and Dean were both high-energy, mischievous kids and if he didn't watch them every minute of the day, he knew they would find trouble. Or trouble would find them. After all, they were Winchesters.

If he were being honest, he might admit that he was being a little hard on the boys. After all, Sam and Dean stayed alone quite often and for the most part, Dean kept them out of trouble. The kid shouldered a lot of responsibility on a daily basis and usually came out on top. Of course, John told him many stories of times that Dean's childishness got the best of him. After all, he really was just a child.

The Shtriga incident was the first that came to mind, of course. Especially since that incident was one that still left Bobby feeling cold inside. But there were others, too. Schoolyard fights were often a thing with Dean. Bobby understood that most of these fights were brought on by bullies and that Dean was only usually sticking up for his brother. And while he applauded the kid for having his brother's back, he also understood why John found it necessary to punish the boy for his actions. The last thing the Winchester family needed was for anyone to get suspicious about anything at all. All it took was for one teacher or principal to wonder why Dean was always so protective of his little brother. All it took was for one teacher to become curious about the two Winchester brothers, whose clothes never seemed to fit quite right and who, more often than not, kept to themselves.

There were other incidents, too. Once when Dean was eight, he had been caught stealing a candy bar from the counter of the motel they had been staying in. Bobby remembered that incident clearly, because the reasoning behind Dean's actions nearly broke his heart. The boy knew that stealing was wrong unless it was absolutely necessary, and Bobby supposed that he must have thought it necessary at that particular moment.

And truthfully, it was all John's fault. He had been the one that left the boys alone for two whole days. And it was his fault for not remembering that it was Sam's birthday. Bobby remembered hearing about it all from John right after it had happened, except John hadn't mentioned the missed birthday. John had called him, feeling guilty over having given his oldest son a spanking for stealing, hoping that Bobby would back him up on his decision to discipline his son in such a way. And Bobby had agreed with John, at first. He completely agreed that the boy needed to be punished to drive home the fact that stealing was not acceptable. He completely agreed until he heard the whole story from Dean a few days later.

John had dropped the boys off at his house before heading out on a hunt for a water wraith and Bobby immediately noticed that the boys were more subdued than normal. The newly turned four year old, who usually wouldn't stop talking until he fell asleep, was too quiet. And Dean looked as if he had lost all hope in the world. Or maybe just in his father.

"Hey, Uncle Bobby," Dean said in the most forlorn voice Bobby had ever heard him use.

"Hey, kid. Why don't you take your brother inside while I talk to your dad?"

Without another word, Dean took Sam's hand and led him into the house. Bobby turned his attention to John who was looking antsy and ready to go.

"John? What's wrong with your boys?"

"They're fine, Singer. It was just a long trip."

"Are you sure? I've never seen Dean look so down before."

"He's fine. You know how he gets after he's been punished. He's just a feeling a little put out about getting his butt handed to him."

"If you say so," Bobby answered, not wanting to get into it with John right before he left. Judging by both boys' behavior, though, there was more to the story than what he was being told.

John said a quick goodbye to his sons before heading out. Once he was gone, Bobby sent them upstairs to get cleaned up for lunch. A few minutes later, Sam and Dean returned to the kitchen and sat down at the small table.

"You boys hungry?" Bobby asked.

"I am!" Sam quickly yelled, bouncing on his seat for a few seconds before looking over at his brother. Once he saw that Dean was just staring quietly at the table, he sat back down and did the same.

"Dean? You hungry."

"Yes, sir," Dean answered quietly.

Bobby desperately wanted to find out what had Dean so upset, but he knew better than to push the boy. Dean would talk when he was ready and not a second sooner.

"How about we eat up these sandwiches?" he said as he pulled out a plate of ham sandwiches he had made that morning. "And then you boys can go play with Rumsfeld."

"Who's Rums….uh, Ruffs….um, who's that?" Sam asked excitedly.

"My new puppy," Bobby said with a smile, knowing that the boy loved puppies.

"You got a new puppy?" Sam asked even more excitedly.

Bobby noticed that even Dean's eyes had lit up a little with the news of the new puppy. "Yeah, apparently that time Barker got out of the yard led to him making some puppies," Bobby said thinking about his old junkyard dog with a smile.

"Barker's a daddy?" Sam asked. And then, "Uncle Bobby? How do you make puppies?"

Bobby nearly choked on the bite of sandwich he had just taken and he quickly shot a glare over to Dean who was snickering into his napkin. "I think that's a subject for your dad to talk to you about, boy," he growled as he smacked Dean lightly on the back of the head.

"Ow! What was that for?!" Dean yelped dramatically.

"Oh, you know what that was for, kid."

Dean grinned widely before taking a bite of his own sandwich and Bobby was happy to see it. Maybe the boy was just a little embarrassed that he had been spanked.

After lunch was over, Sam ran outside to play with the new puppy. Dean dutifully followed his little brother, trying to hide his own childish excitement from himself and his surrogate uncle. Bobby followed them out the door, not ready to let them out of his sight just yet.

They played with the new puppy for almost an hour before the puppy tired out and Sam started to get cranky. Bobby noticed that Dean was getting a little cranky, too, but he knew better than to suggest the kid take a nap. He thought that maybe it was worth a try to get Dean to take Sam up for a nap, hoping that the time it took him to get his little brother asleep, the boy would fall asleep himself.

Of course, that didn't work. Dean was upstairs for almost an hour, making Bobby think that he had indeed fallen asleep, when he heard the sound of his footsteps on the stairs. Seconds later, he looked up to find Dean poking his head around the corner.

"Hey, kid. I thought maybe you fell asleep."

"No, sir," Dean answered quietly.

When he didn't make a move to step into the living room, Bobby cleared his throat and patted the seat next to him. Dean slowly stepped over to the couch and sat down next to his uncle.

"What's going on with you, boy?" Bobby asked. "You're not acting like yourself."

"Nothing's going on."

"Really? Because normally by this time you're knee deep in finding out what's new in the junkyard. You'd be talking my ear off about the cherry Mustang I just bought."

Dean didn't say anything, choosing instead to pull at a loose thread from a hole in the knee of his jeans.

"Dean. I know something's bothering you. You can talk to me, kid."

"I don't want to talk about it, Uncle Bobby."

Bobby waited for several minutes, watching the boy as he picked at the hole in his jeans, making it bigger with his efforts. Finally, he couldn't wait any longer. "Your dad told me what happened."

Dean's face suddenly turned red and his eyes filled with tears. "I hate him, Uncle Bobby."

"Hey, now…. I know that's not true. I know you're mad at him, but you don't hate him."

A few tears escaped Dean's eyes and made their way down his cheek. Bobby pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to the boy. Dean didn't take it, though. Instead, he used his shirt sleeve to wipe the tears away.

"Can you tell me what happened? I heard your dad's version, but I'd like to hear yours, too."

"I took a candy bar from the motel desk. The guy caught me and told Dad. That's it."

"Why did you take the candy bar, Dean? It's not like you to steal, kid."

Dean was quiet again and eventually Bobby thought that he wasn't going to answer. He finally did, though.

"It was Sam's birthday, Uncle Bobby. I told Sam that Dad would be back for his birthday and that we would have a party. But Dad didn't show up. He called that morning and said that he wouldn't be home for another day. When I told Sammy, he started crying. I had to get him to stop crying."

"So, you took the candy bar for Sam?"

"Why else would I have taken it?!" Dean asked, as if the idea of him taking it for himself was completely preposterous. "It was Sam's birthday and he deserved something nice."

Bobby's heart broke a little at the thought that Dean felt like a candy bar was "something nice." No kid should ever see something as simple as a single candy bar as something so much bigger. Of course, he didn't think that kids should be spoiled, but still….

"Did your daddy give you a chance to explain yourself?"

"Yes, sir."

Bobby felt a surge of anger shoot through him at the thought that John still chose to punish his son after hearing his reasoning. He found it surprising, though, because he knew how John reacted when he felt like he had neglected his sons in some way. Had John known the reason behind Dean's theft, he would have felt too guilty to spank the boy.

"He gave you the chance, but did you take it? Did you tell your daddy why you stole the candy bar?"

"No, sir."

"Why not? Dean, you should have told him. It probably would have saved you from getting a spanking, kid."

"I didn't want him to feel bad, Uncle Bobby."

"Dean….."

"I know he didn't do it on purpose, Uncle Bobby. I know he forgot because he was on a hunt. That's more important and I know that. But, Sam doesn't. He's just a kid, Uncle Bobby."

Bobby's heart broke even further at that. He knew that Dean didn't see himself as a kid and that thought was almost too much for the old hunter to bear.

"So, you lied to your dad? Told him you took it because you wanted it? Is that it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Dean, you shouldn't have done that. Your dad deserved to know the truth." When Dean didn't say anything, he continued. "Does he know now that he forgot Sam's birthday?"

"I don't think so."

Bobby took off his baseball cap and ran his hand over his head. Sometimes he really felt like putting some buckshot in John Winchester's backside.

Bobby remembered how that had all turned out. By the next day, Dean was back to his normal self, having found it cathartic to unload his emotions onto someone else. And because Dean was no longer sad and withdrawn, Sam wasn't either. Suddenly, Sam was talking his ear off and Dean was playing pranks and checking out every car in the yard.

John had called the next day, obviously drunk and feeling guilty because he had suddenly realized what day it was and that he had missed Sam's birthday. He vowed to both of his boys to make it up to them when he returned and Bobby had no doubt that the man would live up to that promise. If anything could make John Winchester a good father, it was guilt.

Once he returned, John took Dean for a long walk and by the time they returned, Bobby could tell that John was once again Dean's hero. He only hoped that the man could maintain that title a little more easily in the future.

And now Bobby was taking care of Sam and Dean again, while John was on a hunting trip. The boys were three years older now, but still a handful. Bobby had to admit, though, that so far the boys had indeed been on their best behavior. Other than a few brotherly squabbles that were quickly nipped in the bud by a stern look, Sam and Dean had downright been little angels.

Of course, Bobby didn't expect that trend to continue for too much longer because he really didn't think either boy had it in him to stay out of trouble for too long. Especially Dean. He had heard whisperings between the two boys off and on through the week, knew it had something to do with a promise John had made to them if they were to behave while he was gone. It wasn't a usual thing for John to bribe his kids with rewards if they behaved themselves. That was definitely not the Winchester way. But, he imagined that even the great John Winchester wasn't above a well thought out bribe if it meant keeping the peace for a while.

He only hoped it worked.

As he sipped his morning coffee, he could hear the rustling that had started upstairs and started to prepare himself for the whirlwind that was just about to descend upon him. If he were a praying man, he might've even sent up a prayer for the boys he loved with all his heart.

Author's note: Enjoy. Thanks for reading.