Chapter 52

The room was quiet as everyone either sat or stood around waiting for Emily to answer Dean. No one really looked at anyone in particular, the tension in the room building with the continued silence.

"Before you say anything Emily, I have something to say to Dean." Josh started before she could answer. He turned to Dean before speaking. "Dean, I know this is too late and may not mean anything now, but I'm sorry we didn't adopt you too when we did Sam. It was a hard decision to make and I know we made the wrong one now."

"We were told what happened to your mother and father and the issues you had." Emily added. "We didn't know if we could take care of you and give you what you needed. We hoped you would be placed with a family who could help you. You were still young; I thought it wouldn't be a problem."

"I needed my brother." Dean said quietly looking directly at both of them for a moment. "Things didn't work out for me, I was living on the streets by the time I was eleven. It was better than the places I was placed."

"I never thought..." Josh started but stopped when he saw the look on Dean's face letting him know he didn't want to talk about any of that. Josh stopped talking and looked down at the floor feeling guilty wondering what happened to him.

"We're not perfect by any means, but you have to understand Trevor, I mean Sam, is my son. How would I not be upset and worried when he up and disappears leaving us a note he's going to look for his real brother. I was a wreck and the only thing I could think of was someone taking him and hurting him."

"I would never let anyone hurt Sammy." Dean said sternly. "I have looked for him my entire life and he finds me instead. Sam is a very resourceful and strong willed individual."

"Maybe I was a little hasty having Sam picked up by the police, but I had to know he was ok." Emily admitted. "I just don't understand why he wouldn't talk to us about all this."

"Would you have listened to him and if he wanted stay with me would you have let him?" Dean questioned, already knowing the answer.

"Not until he was older, he's still a child too young to make those type of decisions." she protested.

"There you have it, Sammy's not a kid, he's a young adult and you need to let him grow up and make his own choices. He's probably smarter than anyone in this room, yet you're seeing him as a child. I had already decided if he wanted to stay with you guys, I wouldn't stop him, I'd learn to live with his choices." Dean explained to them. "You heard him, he doesn't want to shut you guys out, he wants to be in your lives still. Aren't you willing to compromise? I love my brother and would do anything for him, I'd die for him. I would never ask him to toss you guys away, especially his little brother. I saw how much Danny idolizes him." Dean paused for a moment and stepped closer to Emily before continuing. "You don't even know me, yet you're judging me on your thoughts alone instead of actually getting to know me. I may not be as smart as my brother or have had the good life he did, but I'm not a bad person. Are you not seeing you're driving a wedge between Sam and you? Is that what you really want?" Dean said trying to sound reasonable and forthcoming.

"That's very mature of you Dean." Josh commented, impressed on how Dean was handling this. "He has a point Em; you don't know him and haven't seen the closeness they have as brothers. I don't think I've ever seen siblings with a bond like they have."

"You're right, I don't know either of you and I guess that is my mistake." she offered. "I did think the worse of you and I thought you wanted to take advantage of Sam. It's hard to see him so...Growing up so fast. He's always been that way, so I shouldn't be surprised. I've just never seen this stubborn side of him before, it kind of scared me."

"It's a Winchester thing I guess, he gets it honest."

"And you sir, do you have anything to say?" Emily asked Bobby.

"Ma'am, you needn't worry about Sam, I've raised Dean for the past four years and I don't take any crap from him. I make him toe the line and the same would go for Sam. I'll take good care of him and he can come visit any time he wants, neither of us expected him to just up and leave this family and not keep in touch. That would be wrong. I will do everything in my power to make sure he's safe and well cared for." Bobby told her hoping he was helping the situation.

"Believe what he says, I saw it first hand." Josh chuckled. "He can keep them in line better than even me."

"We're ready." Sam announced as Danny and he walked back into the room. He looked around at the adults trying to surmise what had been said and if it was good or bad. At least no one was bloody or Emily wasn't crying, so that was a good sign maybe. Danny stood by Sam's side bouncing from foot to foot anxious to leave. "Is everything ok?"

"Yeah Sammy." Dean said looking from Emily to Josh. "You got everything squirt?" Dean asked Danny.

"Yes, Sam made sure I packed what I would need."

"I'll watch him." Bobby told Josh quietly.

"Thanks, I know he'll be ok."

"We'll bring him back later tomorrow afternoon."

"Sounds good. You have my number if you need anything."

"Josh, you sure about this? Do you know them well enough to let our son go with them?" she questioned.

"Yes I do know them Emily, they're good people and Sam will be with him, he'll be fine."

Emily sighed at him and turned away to walk toward the kitchen trying to get her emotions under control. She didn't want to lose Trevor, no wait, Sam, but could she agree to this? Dean didn't seem like a bad person and he did have some good points, maybe she had misjudged him. She wanted to talk more with Josh and try to understand his thoughts about all this. He was a good man and she knew he would never let Sam or Danny go if there was any danger from Sam's brother or his adopted father.

"I'm sorry about that." Josh told them. "We'll talk tonight; I think it'll be ok."

"Thanks Josh, Danny will be fine." Sam told him as Danny ran for the front door.

"I'm ready." he said happily.

"You mind your brother and Bobby, ok Danny?"

"I will. 'Bye."

"Let's go then." Dean said heading for the door anxious to get out of there. He had had enough drama for one day and hoped maybe it would be their last. Maybe Emily was coming around now and wouldn't be so negative with what Sam was doing. Maybe he didn't handle it the right way, but he couldn't blame him for doing what he did because he wanted to live with him. It was their time now; they had so much to learn about each other and to just be brothers again. Dean was already feeling that urge and need to protect his brother and take care of him. It had never really left him, even after all these years; it remained dormant in the corner of his mind until now and it was slowly waking up and making itself known.

spn

"Wow! I like the car." Danny said touching the hood of the Impala. "It's cool."

"Thanks, ya've got good taste."

"Climb in." Sam told Danny opening the back door for him to get in.

"Can we stop and get something to eat?" Danny asked as he crawled in the back seat.

"Yes Danny. Dee there's a diner down below the motel that has good food." Sam told him.

"Sounds good to me, they have pie?"

"Think so, I usually don't get dessert."

"What's wrong with you?"

"He eats healthy." Danny replied making a face. "I like pie."

"Alright!" Dean praised. "We'll just have to get a couple of big pieces."

"I want apple with ice cream."

"You got it squirt."

"Sam can I ask you something?" Danny asked looking hopefully at Sam.

"Sure bro, you know you can."

"If Dean is your big brother and you're my big brother, is he my big brother too?"

Sam looked at Dean as he looked in the rearview mirror at them in the back seat. Without hesitation he answered Danny.

"Of course he is. Now you have two big brothers that will watch out for you."

"I like that." Danny nodded happily snuggling into Sam's side.

"I'm glad." Sam smiled seeing the look of surprise on Dean's face as it softened at the aspect of gaining not one but two brothers now.

Bobby heard the exchange and saw the look of surprise and then happiness cross Dean's face as he steered the car back onto the road and toward the diner. He was glad Dean saw that as a good thing and was willing to accept Danny without a second thought. He listened to the quiet conservation between Sam and Danny in the back seat as he told him about looking for Dean. He noticed Sam left out the part about the graveyard and the spirit and fibbed about their first meeting and how he broke his arm. He had to admit the boy was learning fast without much supervision and thought he would make for a good researcher. He couldn't believe how much his life had changed after taking in one brother and now he was going to have both brothers in his life. He didn't know if he should be ecstatic about that or very, very afraid.


A/N: Thank you to all who have taken the time to read my story. Reviews a welcome. NC