Timeline: This chapter takes place in April of Sam's junior year, Adam as been with the family for about eight months at this point and is still figuring out his family and their dynamics.
Sam knew he had two chances to take the SATs in the spring: March and May. He also knew he wanted to take the test as early as possible so that if he did poorly he'd have time to arrange a retest before he had to send off the final scores to any colleges he'd chosen.
Unfortunately for him, things were not going smoothly in the world of Winchester.
Adam was still struggling hard to find his footing within the family and the stress of his constant failures was creating a lot of tension for everyone. Dad had come down hard on all the brothers when he laid out his expectations on Adam's training, setting the bar just too damn high in Sam's opinion. But of course, when Sam tried to voice that opinion and defend his new little brother he earned himself a taste of his father's belt.
Dad's impatience with Adam's lack of abilities burst forth last month in a fit of drunken rage that had Dean nursing a black eye and all three brothers sleeping in the safety of the Impala for a night.
No matter how hard Sam tried to get the stars to align so that he could find his way to Bobby's and take the SATs, he just couldn't seem to make the March deadline.
His optimism wavering he set his sights on the May exam date and stubbornly doubled his clandestine efforts to plan a hunt that would get him in the area around that time. He'd been researching for months, studying national weather service maps looking for unusual signs, scanning newspapers from around the country looking for hints of the wild and weird that could tip off the start of a case. But so far he'd found nothing that would be the right combination of dangerous enough for Dad to require Dean's help, but too dangerous for Sam and Adam to be obligated to assist as well. There were precious few times these days that Sam was left behind on a hunt anyhow. After Christmas Dad had declared that Sam was old enough to be hunting regularly and it was time to fine-tune his training in the heat of battle. Of course that's the last thing that Sam wanted to do, but of course, he got no say in the matter.
As May approached Sam began to feel a desperate panic began to build behind the wall of confidence and determination he had built. He had been so sure that he could work this out, that he could take and ace the SATs and no one in the family would be any wiser. He needed this test. He needed to know if he actually was smart enough for college. And although he still wavered some days on the idea of leaving his family, he at least wanted all the cards in place so that if and when he got ready, he'd have everything he needed to win the hand.
It was Bobby who eventually tipped him off about the 'perfect hunt' that Sam had been searching so doggedly for. Although Bobby was less than pleased to have been roped into Sam's covert operations, he was sympathetic and seemed to understand Sam's desire to free himself from his father's crushing demands.
"Dad? Bobby called while you were out. Said he's got a case for you," Sam said, as Dad and Dean walked into their room at the Broken Spoke Motel, carrying two bags of take-out food from the diner across the street.
"Yeah?" John questioned, "He say what it was?"
Sam shook his head, knowing that Dad would call Bobby to confirm details anyway so why not just let him get all the information from the source, no need to question Sam's listening skills which Dad was almost sure to do.
"Ok. I'll give him a call."
A short time later Dad had been briefed on what Sam already knew: there was a potential Bloody Bones case in rural Oklahoma about four hours from where the Winchesters were now. Sam wasn't positive that the case was real, he was too thankful to Bobby for coming up with it to confirm its veracity, but it didn't really matter anyway. If Sam played his cards right Dad and Dean would set off tonight right after they put him and Adam on a bus to Bobby's house in Sioux Falls.
"What's Bloody Bones?" Adam asked around a mouthful of half-chewed cheeseburger.
"Gross Adam," Sam answered back across the motel room table, disgusted that his little brother seemed to be taking after Dean in the table manners department.
Adam made a face back at Sam and looked over at Dean and Dad for an explanation to his question.
"You and Sam didn't go over Bloody Bones?" Dad questioned, glancing at Sam.
Sam just rolled his eyes and shrugged. Even with his constant studying and quizzing Adam wasn't retaining enough information about the supernatural to make Dad happy. Never mind that the kid was usually exhausted from the physical training Dean put him through that he was only half awake by the time Sam got ahold of him to teach him lore.
"Same thing as a Rawhead, kid." Dean supplied, before digging into his own burger, taking a massive bite that left a string of onions hanging on his chin.
"Oh that thing that goes after kids right? That's creepy," Adam said.
Dad nodded, looking down on to the notes that he'd scratched on the motel room notepad, "Bobby says there's been two reported cases of children being killed in the area and it sounds like our kinda thing."
Sam was silently nibbling at his own cheeseburger, covertly watching his father from behind his too long bangs. He knew better than to suggest that he and Adam go off to Bobby's, but he was terrified that Dad might suggest that they wait here at the Broken Spoke while he and Dean took on the case.
"So when do we leave?" Adam asked casually, reaching for a sip of the too large soda Dean had brought back for him.
Across the room Dean scoffed, making Adam scowl in his direction.
"You won't be going on this one Adam," Dad replied straightforwardly, still reading through his notes.
"What?" Adam asked, pure shock across his young features, "Why not?" he demanded.
"Because you're a kid dumbass, these things go after kids," Dean replied.
"Dean." Dad reprimanded firmly, without turning around, "Adam this one is too dangerous. For both you and Sam,"
Sam's heart leapt in his chest and he wanted to smile and cheer at the small victory, but he forced himself to stay neutral, a mask of carefully contrived disinterest firmly in place on his face. Under any normal circumstances Sam wouldn't have really cared about his family's next hunt, so he knew he had to keep up the façade.
"Dad, are you serious?" Adam asked indignantly, "This is like the one hunt I could actually help with!"
Sam looked over to see Dad narrowing his eyes at his youngest son's disrespectful tone and he watched as Dean stood up from his place on the motel bed, casually walking around closer to Dad and Adam but staying just off to the side, ready to step between the two if needed.
"Excuse me?" Dad asked, his tone clearly displeased with Adam's rudeness.
Adam was oblivious to the implied suggestion and rambled on, throwing down his cheeseburger in annoyance.
"Come on! I could help! This thing goes after kids right? Well…" he yelled, gesturing to himself.
"You wanna use yourself as bait?" Dean asked in surprise, unable to hide the little bit of pride in his voice.
"Yeah! Why not?" Adam answered heatedly.
"No."
Dad's deep rumble from the motel bed was firm and like always he gave no explanation for his decision, which normally would have infuriated Sam and seemed to be doing so to Adam now.
"Why Dad? Come on!" Adam complained angrily.
Sam watched as Dad eyed Adam, silently encouraging him not to push the conversation any further. Unfortunately, Adam seemed unaware of the telepathic instructions and continued to protest.
"Why Dad? I can't do a lot, but we know monsters like me," Adam asked again, his a little voice softer and betraying a level of misery that caused all the Winchesters to stare at him.
"Adam..." Dad replied slowly with a sigh, his wall of impassive sternness vacillating.
Sam began to feel panic rising in his chest. No. There was no way that Dad could actually consider this. No matter how downtrodden and pitiful Adam seemed to be. Sam knew from years of experience that playing the pity card simply didn't work with John Winchester, and yet… and yet Dad did seem to be considering the idea. He hadn't immediately closed off the conversation like he would have if Sam had been arguing his point. Saying, 'No Sam and that's final'. What the hell was going on?
"Dad?" Dean questioned hesitantly, clearly confused by their father's delayed reaction as well.
The room was silent as John stared at his youngest son incredulously. Sam could feel his pulse begin to race as he watched the pride develop on his father's face. He desperately wanted to say something, anything to keep Dad from agreeing to Adam's stupid suggestion. But Sam knew that anything he said could influence his father and not in a way that would benefit him. Any suggestion, either for or against from Sam Winchester would be mistrusted and viewed suspiciously. Even if Sam were to suddenly agree to Adam's plan and willingly allow himself to be bait alongside his brother, Dad would be suspicious but proud, possibly thinking this was the case that made Sam realize his place in their family. But if Sam were to speak against going with them, Dad could see as another strike in Sam's war against the family business and force him to go along out of spite and a desire to teach him his place.
Fearing either outcome Sam kept a tight hold on his mask of neutrality and bit his tongue, forcing himself to watch the scene play out however it might.
Dad sighed again deeply and then shook his head, "No Adam. Not this time."
Sam breathed an internal sigh of relief, happy that the decision he needed had been made.
"What?" Adam screeched indignantly, forgetting his misery and becoming angry again "You can't be serious? You are really gonna let that bloody bastard go after some unsuspecting kid when you have two trained hunters right here, who know what's going on?"
"Adam, you aren't trained," Dad said firmly, clearly trying to avoid the argument.
"I am trained!" Adam shot back, standing up from his chair, "More trained than those kids getting slaughtered!"
Dean was standing just behind Dad, shaking his head at Adam trying to get the stupid kid to calm down and shut his mouth.
"Adam. You are not going. That is final." Dad said, standing to face Adam and challenging him to continue his insubordination.
Adam faced off against their father for a moment as Sam and Dean watched, anxiously waiting to see what their hotheaded little brother might do.
Finally, Adam sneered and sat back down in his chair forcefully, "Fucking stupid," he muttered.
Oh shit. Sam thought. A quick glance at Dean told him that Adam's mumbled words had been heard clear as day even from as far away as Dean was standing.
"What did you say?" Dad grumbled.
"Dad…" Dean interjected, trying to draw his father's attention.
Dad put a hand up to silence Dean and focused in on Adam.
"Adam." John questioned again, his voice a menacing octave deeper than its usual timbre.
Sam watched Adam slump down further into his chair; completely unaware of the disaster he was headed toward.
Sam reached out and kicked his little brother under the table, earning a snide glare from Adam. Sam surreptitiously nodded over to Dad who was still standing and now glaring down at Adam, waiting for his youngest to realize his mistake and make the needed apologies.
Adam just rolled his eyes, causing Dean to throw his hands up in frustration behind their father.
Sam watched with a grimace as Adam was suddenly and forcibly removed from his chair by a rough grip on his upper arm and dragged off toward the motel bathroom, stumbling to find his footing along the way as Dad unbuckled his belt with one hand.
A quick exchange with Dean and both brothers headed out of the room to wait outside while Dad and Adam worked out the finer details of the Winchester rules of respect.
"Dumb kid," Dean said shaking his head, as they leaned against the Impala in the parking lot.
Sam shrugged, "He was just trying to help."
"He's got a stupid way of going about it," Dean replied, looking off into the distance, "Fuck I wish I'd brought my burger."
Sam couldn't really think about food, his stomach was twisted in knots thinking of Adam. As much as he had wanted Dad to keep them off the hunt, he hadn't pictured the conversation ending the way it had. Although logically he didn't really have anything to do with Adam being punished, somehow Sam still felt responsible.
"You think Dad will leave us here?" Sam asked, curious to know Dean's take on the situation.
"For the hunt? I don't know. Maybe." Dean replied with a shrug, "I sure as shit wouldn't ask him now though,"
"Yeah," Sam replied with a scoff.
Sam and Dean were still quietly sitting against the car when Dad came outside a few minutes later.
"I'm going on a run," he said, digging his truck keys out of his pocket. "Keep an eye on your brother,"
"Yes sir," both boys parroted automatically.
They watched as the taillights of the truck disappeared down the two-lane highway and sat in a companionable silence, trying to wait long enough to let their youngest brother recover from his punishment in some privacy.
"Come on," Dean said finally, "I'm hungry."
Leave to Dean's stomach to decide what amount of recovery time Adam was gonna get.
Rolling his eyes, Sam followed Dean back into the room to find Adam wrapped up in a storm of his making. He was pacing the room like a caged animal, fuming. He paused just in front of the bathroom door and kicked it hard, growling in frustration.
"Hey!" Dean called out, "You put a hole in that door, I'm gonna put a hole in your head!"
Being so caught up, Adam apparently hadn't heard them come in and spun around in surprise, which quickly turned to back anger. Sam was surprised that Adam was still so mad after tangling with Dad's belt. After his own punishments, Sam always felt more brooding and sullen, certainly not heated up enough to take out his rage on the motel furniture.
"It's just so stupid!" Adam yelled, searching the room, clearly looking around for something to punch, "All this training! All this studying! And he won't even take me on the one hunt I could help with!"
"He's trying to keep you safe Adam," Sam said, trying to calm his spiraling little brother.
"Why?" Adam screeched, "Why now? We do all kinds of dangerous shit! What makes this any different?"
Sam exchanged a look with Dean. It was true. They very often found themselves in extremely dangerous situations courtesy of their father. But because they were with Dad the danger was always mitigated, they were never at the center of the fight, and they were certainly never used as a lure for the creatures they hunted.
"Look..." Sam started hesitantly, "I gotta side with Dad on this one. Fighting a monster isn't the same as using yourself as bait."
"What!" Adam yelled in shock, "Are you freaking kidding me Sam? You don't agree with him on anything and you pick now to join his team?"
"I'm not trying to pick sides, Adam," Sam replied, feeling his own temper rise at his brother's accusations, "But he's right. It's too dangerous."
"Oh great. Just freaking great." Adam said, pacing the floor again.
"Cool your jets kid," Dean said; tiring of the show and walking over to pick up his discarded burger, "They'll be plenty of other hunts."
"Yeah, other hunts for me to fuck up." Adam replied spitefully.
Dean shrugged at Adam's response, making Sam frown at his brother's callous behavior. Noticing Sam's unhappy stare, Dean rolled his eyes and grudgingly tried to offer some comfort to Adam.
"You don't wanna be the bait, kid. Cause that's how you get eaten and you don't wanna get eaten," Dean explained as he turned to face his youngest brother.
"I don't care." Adam said shaking his head, "Who cares if I die? My life sucks anyway. At least on this hunt I could die and maybe save some people, then I could go to heaven and be with my mom,"
"You believe in heaven?" Dean asked with a scoff.
"You don't?" Adam asked with genuine surprise.
"Look," Sam interjected, slamming the breaks on the religious fight that would no doubt happen if Dean and Adam were allowed to continue, "Adam. Dad's right on this one. It's not worth the risk,"
Adam just shook his head stubbornly, "You're wrong. You're all wrong. I could help."
"Adam…Your life… This life…" Sam started; racking his brain to think of a way to tell Adam that Dad was right, but also that his little brother's life was worth more than a sacrifice for one of Dad's missions.
"Jesus. Can we cool it with the Sally Jesse Raphael shit here?" Dean asked sarcastically, his discomfort with this brother's emotional display outweighing his tolerance for it.
"Why don't you shut the hell up Dean!" Adam screamed back, his fists clenched in trademark Winchester rage.
Dean reflected his brother's fury immediately, fed up with trying to placate him.
"Oh you wanna go, kid?" He asked, taking a menacing step forward.
"Guys! Stop it!" Sam yelled, trying to get control of the situation.
Adam and Dean glared at each other from opposite sides of the motel bed, each waiting for the other to make the move that would set them off.
"Knock it off," Sam said, standing at the end of the bed between them, "Seriously."
Dean was the first to break the stare, hostility still radiating off him.
"Doesn't matter anyway. Dad said you aren't going so you aren't going. And you better change your attitude about it before he gets back or he's gonna whip your ass again and I know you're not dumb enough to ask him for the two for one deal." he said, defying Adam to question his prediction.
Adam scowled back at his brother but kept his mouth shut in a hard line.
"It'll be fine Adam," Sam said, trying once again to console his brother.
Adam sneered and looked away, "I hate this stupid family," he said.
Sam watched as pain quickly flashed across Dean's face, before it hardened into a mask of anger, "Yeah well we ain't too crazy about you either," he replied, grabbing his burger and going to sit at to table by the wide motel window.
Adam ignored him and sat down gently on the bed, wincing, before rolling over to face the wall, the only privacy he would be afforded in their tiny room.
Sam watched Adam with a heavy heart, feeling bad for his little brother. He'd balked at Dad's lack of explanation enough times to know exactly how Adam felt. Dad ought to be grateful that Adam wanted to hunt, even if he was a little overzealous in his desire to help. He wished there was something he could do to ease his brother's misery.
Sam walked over and sat down at the tiny table across from Dean staring at his now cold cheeseburger and fries. Unlike Dean, there was no way that Sam would be hungry enough to try to choke it down. He played with the fries in the silent room, staring out the window, lost in his thoughts.
"Dean?" Sam whispered, pulling his brother's attention from the cheeseburger he was dutifully eating, determined not to let one of his favorite meals go to waste.
"Mmmm?"
"What about Bobby's?" Sam suggested subversively, pushing down the guilt he felt at using his little brother's pain for his own ends.
Dean was quiet but contemplated Sam's suggestion. It wasn't a wholly selfish one; Adam had loved being at Bobby's house every time they had been lucky enough to be invited. He'd said how much he loved all the books that were scattered all over the house, stacked up against walls and leaning in towers in the corners of rooms. And Adam and Bobby had gotten along well, once Adam had gotten used to Bobby's outwardly gruff exterior. Sam knew that getting himself and Adam to Bobby's house would not only get him the time with SAT test he needed, but it might also help heal his little brother's hurt at being shut out by their father.
Dean seemed to agree and gave Sam a short nod, "Yeah."
Sam knew that Dean would go and talk to Dad and play Adam's pity card for him in a way that was neither rebellious nor disrespectful. Dean had a way of talking to Dad that Sam had never been able to imitate; somewhere between partner and subordinate Dean was able to persuade their father to see things in a slightly different light, a fact that had saved Sam's butt on numerous occasions over the years. With Dean spearheading the 'get-them-to-Bobby's' part of his plan, Sam was certain that he'd be able to make it in time to take the test and as an added bonus he wouldn't be leaving Adam alone.
As much as Sam wanted to revel in the glory of his successful plan one glance across the tacky western themed motel room to the slim, still form of his younger brother, still curled up tightly on the bed facing the wall stole all the happiness from Sam's heart. He'd make all this up to Adam somehow, someday.