Disclaimer: Yeah... if wishes were horses, we'd all be eating steak XD

Sam is 10, Dean is 15

Thank you all SOOO much! Your support has been truly touching and there's no really way I can fully express my gratitude :)

I'm so sorry for the delay X( School's been such a pain...

One more chapter left, followed by the sequel. ;)

I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF HOMESCHOOLING, so sorry if I got the facts blatantly wrong XP

Enjoy chapter twenty-six!

9 months later

Ever since Dean's birthday, the Daray brothers have steadily been becoming more ingrained in the family unit. Sam didn't really have any more outbursts like the one on Dean's birthday, though Dean has punched several holes through the drywall and broken more furniture than Mary and John thought possible. Eventually, Mary and John did sit Dean down and have a conversation with him about the importance of not destroying the house. Dean scoffed when they suggested punching his pillow, but he did try to direct his punches towards the floor he still occasionally finds himself with a fist in the wall.

Sam seemed to be on the mend as well. After his initial first words, he never really spoke. But after a few months, he started to mumble 'thanks you's or verbalize his yes's and no's instead of simply moving his head. He still kept from John and Mary, still very much afraid of them. But, not long after his twelth birthday, Sam had walked up to John, who was under the hood of the impala, and silently offered to help him.

John was shocked to see the silent Sam holding a wrench towards him, his silent message clear. It actually shocked him more than the fact he was just about to reach for the wrench. John's eyes flicked to where Dean was sitting on the front porch, watching the exchange like a protective hawk. Feeling a little bit pressured, John slowly reached forward and gently took the wrench from Sam, being extremely careful not to touch Sam.

As soon as John took the wrench, Sm took a couple quick steps back, swallowing hard and shaking a little.

John smiled. "Thanks, Sam." He nodded towards he impala. "Wanna help me fix her up?"

Sam looked over at Dean, his eyes wide and uncertain. Dean just bit his lip in response, carefully watching his brother for any signs of abnormal distress. When Sam didn't answer John, Dean got up and walked over to Sam, placing a hand on his shoulder.

His brother's presence acting as a comforting booster, Sam looked back at John and murmured, "Y-yes, pl-lease."

John nodded. "Alright. I'll be under the hood, and whenever I need something--"

"Give it," Sam whispered.

John frowned at the way Sam put it, but nodded. "Yeah."

It became part of the regular routine. Sam would help John whenever he was out fixing the impala, Dean nearby. After a couple months, Sam was no longer afraid of John and was able to fully enjoy the lessons John gave on the mechanics of the car. But not to the point where he didn't want Dean near him at all times. Besides, Dean seemed to really enjoy learning about the impala as well.

Not long after that, Mary and John decided to talk to the boys about a vital issue. And issue they both thought could change their whole relationship with the two boys.

They asked the boys if they wanted to be adopted.

For a moment, they boys just stood there in shock, not quite believing their ears. Then, Dean's face broke out in a gigantic grin, Sam's eyes widening with joy. "Really?" Sam squeaked.

Mary blinked back tears. "We have never been more sure of anything else."

Dean lunged at Mary, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly. Mary stiffened at the sudden affectionate guesture, but then quickly returned it when she realized Dean was crying.

"Thank you..." he mumbled. "Thank you..."

Sam grabbed the bottom of John's shirt, lightly tugging it. John knelt down to Sam's level.

"D-Daddee..." Sam whispered hesitantly.

John smiled, his eyes starting to glisten. He wanted so much to just reach out and hug the little boy, but knew couldn't. "I love you, Sam. You and your brother."

Then, for the first time ever, John watched as Sam's face split into a grin. It made his entire face glow and for a moment, John was speechless.

Dean pulled himself from Mary's arms, quickly wiping his tears off of his face. "M-mom..." Dean mumbled trying out the word. "Mom... Dad..."

They got the papers and it was official. Sam and Dean were no longer Darays. They were now Winchesters.

As the summer rolled by and September came, and another issue brought up its roaring head. One very much more difficult to deal with than adoption.

School.

As soon as the Winchesters mentioned in, Dean exploded. He went on a thirty minute rant which included slamming his fists onto the table and practically screaming at the top of his lungs. He didn't calm down until John grabbed him, holding his arms down, and muttering reassurances that they wouldn't force them to go to a school.

When Dean started to hear what John was actually saying, he calmed down enough to notice his brother was curled up in a tight ball, squeezed between the couch and the wall, shaking violently. Dean quickly released himself from John's arms and went to his brother to console him.

It was blatantly clear that the boys were nowhere near ready to be separated and sent off to a school, so Mary and John made arrangements for the boys to be home schooled.

They went to get whole thing settled, starting with exams. An examiner gave the boys a few tests while Mary and John were in the room, to see where they where as far as their education level. When it first started, Sam simply stared at the paper not knowing what to do with it and feeling uneasy with a stranger in the room. It took a while, but Dean was able to encourage Sam to finally pick up the pencil and start the test.

The results were surprising, though knowing the boys, it really shouldn't have been. They both scored unusually high for kids their age. Though their handwriting resembled that of first and second graders, their knowledge was extraordinary. Dean, who would have been a freshman or a sophomore, solved some of the science problems using differentiable calculus, a short explanation written under his work in shaky handwriting. Doing that is stupid takes forever this is easier faster. While Dean's knowledge in math and science was obviously expansive, his written skills did not reflect his advanced speaking skills, his lack of grammar and usage of vocab in his writing showing this.

Sam, on the other hand, while his handwriting was very poor for a twelve-year-old, had written skills well beyond his years. Something no one (except Dean) really expected given his silent nature. Though some of the things he wrote worried the examiner, like his example for the prompt: 'Do people tend to be good, or tend to be bad?'

A man walks to a well and there's a girl sitting on the edge. She falls into the well, her silver ring falling off and landing on the ground. The man is much more likely to take the ring for himself, and say that there was no way to save the girl.

John couldn't help but read what Sam had written over and over again. While it was sad to see some of the things Sam wrote about, it was fascinating to John that he could practically hear Sam's voice as it might be if he wasn't so terrified of speaking. He sincerely hoped they would get to the point where they could actually hear Sam speak this eloquently.

Besides that, Sam seemed to struggle with math and conceptual science, which the examiner wasn't too worried about, given his age and circumstances. He was more worried about Dean and his lack of writing skills.

"He has the knowledge, but if he can't put it together in an essay, he's not going to be able to graduate high school, let alone go to college."

Mary scoffed. College was the last thing on their minds.

Sam and Dean mostly did school work on their own, meeting with tutors (only with Mary or John in the room with them) once a week. Dean was extremely frustrated with the whole thing, but the walls had yet to suffer his wrath because of it.

Sam and Dean were starting to have the life they had always silently hoped for. They were starting to feel as though nothing, nothing could break this spell.

One chapter left!

Constructive criticism is my friend! so be truthful!