Chapter 3

The next morning after Dean ate breakfast, a social worker returned to take him to a group home, since they had an opening. He did not resist as he was led from the house and put in the back seat of a car, in a booster seat, and fastened in. He kept his head down, not bothering to see where he was being taken. Dean was lost in his own world, not registering the real world that was moving around him.

The car stopped at a large facility and Dean was taken from the car and led inside to be checked in. After paperwork was signed, he was transferred into the custody of the group home. Dean kept his head down and moved in slow motion as he was shown to a room that had beds lining one wall. Once he was shown which bed was his, the counselor took him to a room where other kids around his age were playing. She introduced him to the other kids and left him in the care of the staff there. Dean found a corner to sit in and stayed there for the rest of the day until they were taken to the dining hall for lunch.

Dean remained isolated and never spoke to anyone or interacted with anyone the rest of the day. He did what he was told and followed the other kids to the dining hall for dinner that evening. The other kids that had been at school were there now and it was loud and busy. Dean took his tray to a table away from the everyone else and sat down. He picked up a roll and took a bite, keeping his head down.

He had barely started eating when several of the older kids moved to sit down by him. They started hassling him and taking his food, being bullies. Dean didn't try to defend himself and sat hunched over taking the abuse until another older kid knocked the others away and told them to not mess with Dean or they'd answer to him.

"Look kid, you need to stand up for yourself around here or they'll eat you alive," the older boy told Dean as he put an apple back on his tray. "I'm Curt," he introduced himself to Dean.

Dean didn't answer him as he tried to make himself smaller. He wasn't sure how to take this kid that ran the bullies off. He didn't know what he wanted from him.

"If you want, I'll teach you how to protect yourself," Curt offered. He waited for Dean to answer and when he didn't, got up to leave. "Let me know when you are ready kid. You gotta learn how to take care of yourself around here, no one else is going to."

Dean glanced sideways and watched the older boy walk away before turning back to his food. He ate some of what was left before taking the tray to the window and leaving it. He made his way back to his room and sat on the bed, not wanting to mingle with the others. It was several hours before the other kids returned to the room and got ready for bed. They looked at Dean but didn't try to talk to him, giving him a wide berth after what happened in the dining hall.

Dean went to the bathroom to brush his teeth with the new toothbrush and paste he was given. He relieved himself before going back to the bedroom and changing into pajamas, also furnished by the home. He got under the covers and lay there before the lights were turned off and staff walked around to be sure all of them were in bed. It took a long time before Dean went to sleep and dreamed of the fire that had taken his parents and little brother from him. His mind tried to protect him and pushed those images away deep into the recesses of his mind where they would not be remembered until Dean was ready to deal with them.

spn

The days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, as Dean fell into a routine in the group home. He was still too young to go to school, so he spent his days at the home in preschool learning with the other kids. Dean finally spoke enough to ask Curt to teach him to fight and they worked out every afternoon when Curt got home from school. He learned how to be tough and take care of himself as time passed.

The holidays came and went, and Dean didn't acknowledge any of them or join in any of the activities the group home had for the kids. He kept to himself and let the festivities go on around him. He was given some small gifts by the home and Curt gave him a small pocketknife, telling him to keep it hidden from the staff.

The staff had cupcakes for his birthday, and he sat stiffly at the head of the table as the others dug into the cupcakes and ice cream. It was another day for him and not one he cared to celebrate. Being a year older only meant that in the upcoming fall, Dean would be starting school. He was smart, but never showed how much he knew to anyone, except maybe Curt. He still never talked unless it was absolutely necessary.

The winter months were the worst since that meant the kids had to stay inside most of the time. With the weather bad, the kids couldn't go outside to play, get some fresh air, and run off their energy. They did have a small gym where the kids played dodge ball, ran, played basketball, or any other activity to exercise.

Dean worked on getting stronger and building up his endurance like Curt showed him. The staff had a child psychologist working with Dean weekly to try and draw him out of his shell. Dean remained silent during the sessions, not wanting to talk to anyone about what had happened or what he had seen. The counselor would not give up on Dean and did her best to get him to open up, even if it was only a little bit. So far, Dean had remained stoic and only answered one or two of her questions in a quiet, emotionless tone.

Curt watched out for Dean and kept him safe and unharmed from the other kids who tried to bully him. He tried to buddy up with him, but Dean was still standoffish most of the time, not talking any about himself or what happened that got him put in the home. It didn't bother Curt because he knew a little of what happened to Dean from ease dropping on the staff. He felt sorry for the kid and Dean reminded him of his little brother who had died in a car accident with their parents. He wasn't with them because he was sleeping over with a friend. Curt was made a ward of the state since there were no relatives to take him in. He felt a connection with Dean and, didn't like bullies.

spn

Now that Dean was in school, it gave him something to do during the day. There was a bus that came and picked up the school age kids and took them to a nearby school. Since this was Dean's first year, he was registered, and all the necessary paperwork was done by the home.

The teacher was informed of Dean's circumstances and made sure to keep an eye on him. He was quiet and didn't talk but did the work given to him. The other kids gave him a wide berth and whispered about him behind their hands. Dean didn't try to participate during recess. He found a corner and sat down in the sun, letting it warm his face. He stayed there until the bell rang and they had to go inside. The rest of the day sped by, and it was time to get on the bus and go back to the group home.

Dean fell into a routine as one day led to the next and the school year passed by. He was a fast learner and like a sponge, absorbing everything new given to him. The teacher praised him on his excellent work and tried to get him to talk or answer questions in class, but still Dean kept quiet.

The holiday months came again, and Dean spent his time mostly with Curt. Curt was educating him on the world out there and priming him for what was to come. He wanted to give Dean a chance to make it in the real world.

The new year rolled around, and Dean turned six, and he got a cake this year. The other kids enjoyed the treats and wished Dean a happy birthday. They had gotten used to his quietness and not talking and treated him like any of the other kids at the home. None forgot his protector, Curt, so any bullying was done when he wasn't around, but Dean stopped it before it got out of hand. He used what Curt had taught him and the bullies left him alone.

When summer came around, Dean received some big news. There was a couple that was going to foster him, and he would be going to live with them in the upcoming week after all the paperwork was completed. He didn't know whether to be happy or sad with the news. His head was filled with tales from Curt about foster families and how they mistreated the kids, but he was told of families who were good too. Some were only in it for the monthly check they received. He wasn't sure whether to believe Curt or not and had already decided if he didn't like it there, he would run away. He wasn't sure how he would survive on the streets, but it would be better than staying in a home that mistreated him or abused him.

A/N: Dean is finding it hard to adjust to his new life, but he is befriended by an older boy, and he learns to take care of himself. The road is going to get hard with twist and turns. I hope you will hang around even though Sam is not in this first part. Sam will be coming into the story, but it will still be a while. Please be patient. Thanks for coming along for the ride. I do like reviews/comments. NC