Moving to a new home, a new location when he had been in Blue Earth for so many years, was a daunting task for Jim. It wasn't that he wasn't used to moving around a lot for his hunting jobs, but finding a new home base was something that he hadn't had to contemplate in years.
However, he recognized it as absolutely essential. The first time evil broke in his home, he had been a naive pastor. That had cost him the lives of his wife and his son and daughter.
For Sam, it was an adventure.
For Dean, another reminder of what he had lost. The facets of his life, already so precarious, now dealing another blow as he had to relocate to a new town.
At least he could keep the same private school that he had grown to love, and the same friends he had grown used to.
Packing up and moving wasn't ideal for anyone. It was a strain logistically, emotionally (especially for the boys), and financially, but all that was easily managed, as long as they could have a secure place to call home.
The little town they were moving to wasn't far from Blue Earth, enabling Jim to keep his job, as well as Caleb's. It was only a half hour from Blue Earth, and very secluded, no one knew much about the town, and that's what Jim liked. He hoped it would be far enough to throw the demon off their tails.
"What do you guys think?" Caleb asked, looking out the window at their new, two story home. It wasn't much larger than the one they had been in previously, but the layout was better, more open than the previous one.
"House!" Sam said, pointing excitedly at the structure. "Me, play!"
"I like it," Dean said simply.
The six-year-old was not about to let himself get too attached when it could be taken away. He liked it, and he was even tempted to be excited, but that would have to wait until he was sure they were staying. Sam did not share any of his fears, and was excited at being able to play somewhere new.
The house also boasted a backyard big enough for the boys to play in, and for the family to have backyard cookouts during hot summer days.
"It will be an adjustment," Jim warned, "but this house is bigger, it's more open for you kids to run, and it's also safer."
"I like it," Dean said again, resting his chin on the door. "Sammy and I are going to share a room, right?"
Dean wanted his own room eventually, but for the first few nights, he wanted to know his brother was close.
Initially, Jim and Caleb had put the boys together after John's death to make them both feel more secure and safe, in a world that had constantly changed for both of them.
Now that it had been a year since John had died, and they had settled into a familiar routine, the boys, Dean especially, were feeling more independent.
"If that's what you want,"Caleb assured him.
"I want my own room in awhile. Sammy likes to get in my stuff."
"Alright, bud," Caleb said with a laugh. "You got it."
Caleb was also glad for the fresh start, it gave him a chance to install preventative security measures around the place, enabling the kids' safety.
For the stairs, he attached baby gates to the walls so Sam couldn't climb up or down without supervision. For the cupboards, especially ones that housed chemicals, he put locks on them.
Now came the fun part. Decorating the boys' rooms.
Dean, being the superhero fan that he was, wanted all Batman, and maybe a sprinkling of Chuck Norris.
Sam, being into trains and other machines like that, wanted a train and car themed room.
It was fun forming their rooms into what they wanted. A small luxury they could have in the face of so much doubt and danger.
"When do we get to sleep in our rooms?" Dean asked, one night.
While their rooms had been undergoing renovations, the guys had made temporary sleeping quarters in the living room. Something the boys thought was fun, but the fun had clearly been wearing off.
"Soon," Jim promised. "Tomorrow night."
Dean smiled. "I can't wait."