The flames were still dancing, he could feel the warmth on his face as someone wrapped a blanket around his shoulders tightly. He didn't move, he didn't look up from the ground, but he did move to grip the blanket tighter around him.
Dimly he could hear people around him, the whispers and the murmurs, he could hear firemen yelling instructions and he could hear policemen ordering everyone. But overall, he could still hear the roar of the flames as the building he had been in cracked and broke from the inside.
A shadow appeared in front of him but he still didn't look up. A hand gripped at his chin roughly and jerked his head up, forcing him to look up at the man.
According to the badge pinned to his chest he was the chief of police, and according to the disgusted look on his face and eyes he knew who Sam was.
Or more to the point, he knew who Sam was the son of.
"You're coming with us to the station." the chief told him, momentarily tightening his grip on Sam's chin when Sam didn't say anything. "We've got a lot of questions for you."
A hand grabbed the chiefs arm and jerked him away from him. Without the grip Sam let his head fall back down, staring at the ground. He could feel someone else kneeling in front of him, tugging the blanket off of him.
"C'mon kiddo, let's get you outta here." a familiar voice murmured, hands coming to gently hold his arms and bring him up. Sam let himself be half lifted and guided away. The further away he got, the less of the flames he felt. The arm wrapped around his waist and shoulders, guiding him away from the other people, using the trucks and cars to hide them from the now growing crowd of reporters and their cameras.
The chief caught up with them, Sam could hear him arguing and all but shouting at them to stop and for Sam to come back with him. The man turned around, keeping one hand on Sam and the other bringing his badge up to show the man wordlessly. He could hear the chief sputtering and spitting something but he stayed back as Sam was guided away and into a familiar car.
The scent was soothing and helped ground him. He remembered countless nights climbing and curling into the man's side, someone who was welcome into their home for years and years.
Benny Lafitte was a man of legal power, he had a connection in every station and guard and had a rank above them all, giving him the power to do as he wished to crime scenes or to witnesses.
And he was firmly in the pocket of the Winchester family. Tasked with making sure that if something involved them, he was the first to know and always the first on the scene.
They drove in silence, neither knew what to say and Sam couldn't quite remember how to talk. He wasn't sure how long they drove, he knew they crossed state lines quite a few times but otherwise he had no idea how much time passed.
But he knew exactly where they were going.
He didn't sleep and Benny didn't stop, he only stopped once for gas and an offer for food that Sam didn't answer.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they reached a forest and after a bit longer a large gate. He knew that there had been cameras following their every movement from the moment they entered the area and he didn't move as Benny spoke through the speaker and the gate opened for them. He drove them to the front of the house and there they were, two people waiting for them.
The door was opened for him but it took one of them to reach in and carefully pull him out to get him to move, his legs shaking as he stumbled out. The arms carefully caught him and brought him up, supporting him.
"Sammy." he heard them whisper before hugging him tightly. Immediately he was surrounded by scents that filled his childhood, something comforting to him, something that made him regress almost simultaneously. Lavender, roses, brandy. Leather, whiskey, cigarettes.
Mother. Father.
He felt his body shake in their grasps, Mary was stroking back his hair, whispering to him things that he couldn't hear. John was supporting him and after a moment started to lead him into the house, Mary gripping at his hands as they walked their son home.
"C'mon Sammy, let's get you into your bed." he could hear Mary tell him, squeezing his hands. "You're home now, we'll take care of you."
It took some time and maneuvering, he couldn't make his legs work enough to walk on his own, leaning heavily against his dad for support.
He wasn't sure how long it took to get him back to his old room, but he had his parents on his sides the entire time, mostly carrying him despite him trying to make his legs to work and support him again. He knew that if it came to it his dad would have no problem to pick him up and carry him, but he also knew that his parents wanted to give him some sort of independence for the time being.
He could feel himself trembling, curling in on himself a bit more at the whole thing. That despite what had happened, despite what had been said, what had been done, and everything else in between.
He was still welcomed home. He was still allowed to come back and they'd be here, be here for him. Be here to support him and care for him.
He tried to choke out an apology, tried to choke out some sort of relief and thanks or something, anything. He could almost feel his parents chuckle at that, squeezing his arms.
"Don't worry about any of that right now Sammy." he heard his dad murmur. "Just time to get some rest for now."
They finally reached his room and Mary was the one to open the door for them, letting John move in to place him gently onto his bed. He curled into the sheets, burying his face in the pillow as he tried to calm himself down as best as he could. He could feel someone, one of them, take his shoes off for him.
His blanket was pulled up and tucked in around him, Mary's hand coming up to stroke at his hair.
"Sleep. We'll take off things." she murmured to him. "You're home now Sammy, you can relax."
He couldn't bring himself to answer, he could feel Mary press a kiss to the top of his head and John squeeze his arm before they left his room, leaving him to his thoughts in the dark of his room.
He wasn't sure how long he stayed there, awake in the shadows as he clutched his blankets for some sense of grounding, before his door opened once more.
He knew immediately who it was as they entered his room, closing the door behind them. They padded across the room, steps muffled by the carpet. The edge of the blanket was lifted enough for them to slide into the bed, Sam barely moved, barely dared to breathe as they settled behind him.
Arms, familiar and loving arms, encircled him from behind and tightened, holding him close. He could feel his own body mold back into the familiar position, pressed up against the person who had loved him more than anyone else. More than even their parents.
Even when Sam had ended up hurting him.
Finally the tears that had been just barely brushing the surface broke free, running hot and heavy down his cheeks. He turned in place so that he could bury his face in his chest, clinging to him as a hand rubbed down his back.
"Its alright Sammy, it's alright." his brothers familiar and comforting voice filled him. "It's alright, I got you kiddo. I got you."
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