Disclaimer: Supernatural belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros.

A/N – So it's been a little while since I've posted a chapter on this story and I'm sorry for the long wait, but in my defence, England has only just come out of another lockdown in the last few days, and I've been working full time at home throughout, so there have been plenty of distractions to keep me from writing! I also really struggled to get Bobby's 'voice' right in the one so please let me know if anything sounds off! For now though, I hope you enjoy it!

A Home For Wayward Sons

Chapter Seven

With a heavy step and a tired sigh, Bobby followed Dean, Sam and Adam into his cluttered kitchen, careful to keep his distance from the three boys, since he knew his help – as willing as he was to give it - wasn't going to be welcome at the moment. Dean was hobbling his way through the room with a stubbornness that Bobby had only seen rivalled by the boys' father, with both of his brothers hovering over him like mini-mother hens as if they expected Dean to drop at any second.

Had it been anyone else, Bobby might have been hovering too - Dean did look like he was seconds away from collapsing to the floor - but after his recent interactions with the sixteen year old in the hospital, he got the impression that Dean would rather walk on broken glass with a broken leg and a smile on his face than show weakness in front of his brothers, and any suggestion that he couldn't manage by himself would no doubt be met with derision and anger.

Bobby felt his respect for the boy grow with that realisation, but given that he had spent the last few days dealing with two moody, but healthy Winchesters, and one very moody, hospital-bound one, he was in no mood to waste his time arguing with them now. Therefore in spite of the potential for a return trip to the hospital, Bobby made sure to steer clear of all three boys, even as he saw Dean stumble, fall forward, and then swear as Sam apparently jolted his injured shoulder when he had caught him to stop him from face-planting onto the table.

Bobby shook his head. He had seen much the same behaviour from John Winchester, swearing included. Stubbornness was obviously a Winchester family trait…

Bobby gestured to the living room, trusting Sam and Adam to know their way around since they'd been staying with him for a few days already. While Sam and Adam showed Dean through to the living room, Bobby hung back and decided to get some soup on for the boys' dinner. It was later than he'd usually eat, but they'd missed lunch and then spent most of the afternoon waiting for the doctors to finally agree on the terms of Dean's discharge, so they hadn't eaten much in that time. He didn't know much about kids, granted, but he reckoned they were a bit like dogs; he needed to feed them to keep them from going feral.

Bobby knew better than to try and help beyond the bare necessities though. From what little he'd been able to glean from Dean, these boys were used to looking after themselves, and they rarely accepted help, regardless of whether or not they needed it. In fact Bobby had already made the mistake of trying to help Dean into the truck when they'd finally picked him up from the hospital earlier on. Surprisingly, it hadn't been the older Winchester who had protested; Dean had been subdued since the phone call with his father, even if a couple of days had passed since then. Instead it had been the younger two; Sam had glared at him, and Adam had looked one step away from kicking him in the knees.

Bobby knew when he was outnumbered - then and now - so he would allow the brothers to get Dean settled on the couch while he sorted them out with some food. Bobby shook his head. The boy shouldn't even be out of hospital, but for the last few days he'd been an uncooperative patient at best, and unsurprisingly the hospital staff had decided it was in everyone's best interests that Dean continue his recovery at home.

Everyone's best interest, apart from Bobby's.

Not for the first time, Bobby cursed John Winchester for being a worse father than he'd thought possible, given what he knew about the man. He obviously loved his kids, but dammit, he should be here looking after them, not Bobby. Having said that, he had a feeling that Sam and Adam would be a bit more manageable now that they had their big brother with them. They hadn't taken it well when they'd been told they couldn't stay with Dean at the hospital, and had been sullen and outright rude ever since. The only reason Bobby hadn't called them out on it was because he thought the younger one might cry, and he didn't do well with tears.

Yet again, Bobby questioned why the hell he had agreed to this. He hadn't actually lied to Dean in the hospital, he did owe John Winchester for saving his life on a hunt a while back, but this was not the kind of payback he had in mind. In fact, the man would sure as hell owe him when all was said and done...

He could only hope John finished his hunt quickly and came back to pick the boys up. Unfortunately though, judging by Dean's despondent demeanour since the boy's phone call with his father, Bobby doubted that would be any time soon.

Bobby shook his head and focused back on the soup. Damn it all to hell...

Dean bit back a groan as he sank into the old, but surprising comfortably couch, not wanting to worry his brothers more than he already had during his stay in hospital. Adam in particular had been clingy and anxious since Dean had woken up, barely allowing Dean space to pull himself into Bobby's truck after he'd finally escaped from the hospital before snapping back to his side.

Dean didn't mind – he loved his brothers – but his ribs were still bothering him, and it was hard to hide the pain 24/7. He'd been injured before obviously, and in his experience, sometimes he just needed a minute or two by himself to get everything straight in his head so that he could be strong for Sam and Adam. Usually, he took that minute when he went out alone to hustle some cash – with Sam often being left in charge of Adam, much like Dean had done for Sam back in the day – but with one arm still in a sling and his knee and ribs still tender, he doubted he would be up to much at the moment, and he really doubted that anyone was going to let him try any time soon.

Dean glanced down at Adam, who had snuggled into his side as soon as his ass had made contact with the couch. God, he loved his kids, but he was starting to worry about whether he was enough for them. Before Adam had come along, he and Sam had managed through life with the bare minimum, having had very little other choice at the time, but these days, with an older head on his shoulders, Dean found himself wanting more for them both. He wanted them to have a chance of the life he knew he could never have.

Both his brothers were smart, much smarter than he was. They could do anything, be anything. Dean knew he would always be a hunter – he wanted to be a hunter, if it came down to it – but Sam and Adam could be so much more. They could have a normal life…

"So how do you two feel about going to school tomorrow?" Dean asked cautiously. He wasn't sure whether to breach the subject but it had to be done, and it was better to do it now, before they all fell asleep right where they were sat. It was late, coming up on Adam's bedtime, but Dean knew they could all do with an early night.

He was kinda surprised Sam hadn't brought up the school thing himself, given how much his geek brother loved school and how much he liked to badger Dean about it, but he knew neither Sam nor Adam had been in any state to go to school after the accident - they had point-blank refused to even consider it, even when Dean had been declared out of danger – so he had a feeling their reluctance was something to do with that.

Now that he was out of the hospital though, and unfortunately not far off a return to school himself, Dean knew they couldn't put it off any longer.

"Will you be going?" Sam asked, looking less excited about the prospect of school than Dean had expected.

"Not allowed yet, according to the docs," Dean replied with a smirk. Sam reluctantly grinned back and Dean took that as a win.

"How much did you have to pay them to say that?" Sam teased.

"Just 'cause you two are geeks, doesn't mean all Winchesters are," Dean retorted, tickling Adam in the belly, earning a giggle from his younger sibling. "Seriously though, you two are always bugging me about school, what gives?"

Sam didn't reply immediately and neither did Adam. That sent the alarm bells ringing for Dean, and he knew his earlier concerns were right on the money. The accident had scared them all, but he couldn't let it carry on...

Dean sighed. "Sam…"

"We don't want to leave you," Sam mumbled. From his side, Adam nodded, tears already glistening in the 5 year old's eyelashes.

Dean sighed. "I'm fine now. I promise. Not one hundred percent, but I'm good."

"We were really scared," Adam admitted. "You wouldn't wake up for ages."

"I'm sorry I scared you, buddy," Dean told his youngest brother, squeezing him to his side again in a reassuring hug. "But you heard the doc, I'm good now."

"Not your fault, Dean," Adam murmured. "It was that dumbass driver."

Dean wanted to laugh at that, but held his tongue.

"Don't swear, Adam," Dean said instead. He and Sam swore all the time, a by-product of being raised by a marine dad/hunter, but he was making an effort to teach Adam to be a bit more polite. Obviously it wasn't working…

"He was a dumbass," Sam said forcefully, not helping the situation. "If they catch him, Adam and I want five minutes alone with him."

Dean bit back another laugh at the forceful nod his baby brother gave that suggestion – despite the fact that he knew from experience that Adam could do a fair bit of damage if given the opportunity - but he found himself incredibly touched instead. Dad might not have cared enough to race home, but his brothers would always have his back.

"Join the club," Dean replied, as he tried to get his father's reaction out of his head. The man didn't deserve a second of his time at the moment, but the anger needed a place to go, and he had a worthy target on hand at least - the dickhead who had hit him. He wasn't looking for revenge for himself, but the bastard had nearly killed his brothers and that wasn't something Dean would forgive any time soon.

Sam, his fearless, head-strong, genius kid brother, forever his back-up, the only one he would trust to cover his back in a fight, and Adam, his light, his hope for the future, the boy whose spirit never seemed to be dampened despite the shit-holes they found themselves in on a regular basis. The idea that they might have been taken from him scared him more than anyone else did. Bobby was right, they were his kids, and if he had lost them, he didn't know how he would handle that.

Dean hugged Adam to his side again, not minding in the slightest how clingy he the little boy was being at the moment. If he was being honest with himself, Dean needed it as much as Adam did. It had been too close…

Dean shook his head in an attempt to shake away the memories. He cleared his throat – he hated all this emotional shit - and tried to get them back on track. "So…school?"

"Fine," Sam said, answering for him and Adam. "But only if you promise to take it easy here. And no being difficult for Bobby while we're at school. Bobby has been good with us while you've been in the hospital, Dean. Honest."

"We'll see," Dean replied. He had no real intention of being good for the older man, but he wasn't going to be deliberately difficult either. The man had made a good point in the hospital after all. With CPS breathing down their necks, and their dad nowhere to be found, they had very few other options left. They were stuck with Bobby and Bobby was stuck with them. It didn't really change anything for Dean. He would look after Sam and Adam, like he always did. The only difference now was the location.

"I'll still drop you off at school, okay?" Dean told Sam and Adam, although it was mostly for Adam's benefit. Dean saw relief cross Adam's face, and knew he'd made the right decision. "And no walking to school this time. Bobby has a full scrapheap of old cars, I'm sure one of them is drivable."

"Dean, you care barely walk, let alone drive," Sam scolded, but Dean caught a bit of relief in Sam's eyes as well, meaning Sam wanted him there as much as Adam did. They needed him as much as he needed them and it warmed him as much as it scared him.

"My knee is fine," Dean replied, only partially lying. "Swelling has gone down and everything."

"Your collarbone is still broken, jerk," Sam rolled his eyes.

"Come on, I can drive with one arm tied behind my back, bitch," Dean grinned. "I'm freaking awesome."

Sam just rolled his eyes, but didn't argue, since Dean was an excellent driver.

"When do I get to learn how to drive?" Sam asked moodily. "You learned when you were twelve."

Dean had been taught by his father out of necessity, for the times when his dad had needed back up on hunts and had alienated most other hunters. Dean hadn't actually hunted much back then, but he'd often had to go with his dad and act as getaway driver just in case his dad was too injured to drive. Dean didn't look back on those times fondly. He just remembered being scared as hell the first time he'd had to drive his beat up dad home; shaking so bad he could barely put the car in gear. He'd survived it, but as always, he promised things would be different for his brothers.

"We can go out in the summer, if you want?" Dean offered. Dad hadn't mentioned anything about teaching Sammy how to drive himself – probably because he had Dean to do it, and Dad was all about being practical – but Dean didn't think he would mind.

"Assuming dad leaves the Impala with us," Sam said bitterly. It was sad that neither of them even considered the idea that their dad would be around or that he'd want to teach Sam. Dad had taught Dean the basic necessities in order to survive, not for fun, so the experiences, although useful, had never been the father-son bonding that most kids got when they were growing up. For everything non-essential, Dean had been forced to learn himself and then, although it always left unsaid, it was up to him to then teach his brothers.

"I'll work something out," Dean assured him. Dean nudged Adam to make sure he was being included, even if he wouldn't be taught just yet. "We'll make a day of it. It'll be cool."

Sam gave him a tentative smile, and Dean saw some more of the stress of the recent days leave his brother. Dean was relieved to see it.

"I'm proud of you, Sam," Dean said suddenly. "You too, Adam. You've both been really brave since the accident."

"I'm glad you're okay, Dean," Sam said, his voice breaking a little with emotion, and Dean knew the boy had been holding it together for the last few days on strength of will alone. He was only twelve; Dean hated that it had been necessary for him to stay strong at all, but he wasn't lying, he was proud of his brothers.

"Well that's enough of the chick-flick moments," Dean said with forced cheer, pointedly ignoring Sam as his brother hastily wiped at his eyes, instead gesturing to the couch next to him. "Sit, Sam. Let's see if we can find any cartoons on this ancient TV."

Sam flopped down on the couch next to his brothers, leaning into Dean's side. Sam was growing up fast, and soon he wouldn't want or need the affection from his older brother, but for now, Dean would count his blessings.

With Adam snuggled into one side, and Sam on his other, Dean would count his blessings for now. Sam snagged the remote and flicked it to some random nature documentary, but with his arm in a sling, Dean was in no condition to fight for the right to choose the channel, and Adam seemed happy enough with the choice Sam had made, as much as he did love cartoons.

Dean rolled his eyes, but didn't complain. Adam's eyes were already drooping now that he was safely with his older brothers and he had a feeling that he and Sam wouldn't be too far behind anyway. Dean smiled and settled in to watch the TV, safe in the knowledge that for now at least, his brothers were okay.

After giving the Winchester's plenty of time to settle, Bobby ladled the soup into three bowls and tried to decide whether he was going to call the boys into the kitchen, or get a TV tray and take it to them. On the one hand, he refused to act as waiter for some snot-nosed kids, but on the other hand, Dean was cleared tired, and Bobby knew that getting the other two to the table without their older brother following was next to zero.

Bobby sighed and started to look for that TV tray, telling himself that he would not be making a habit of this. Damn kids, since when had he got so soft…?

After eventually finding what he was looking for, Bobby transferred three bowls onto the tray and took it carefully into the living room, only to find all three boys seemingly fast asleep, with the TV playing the end of some nature documentary in the background. Bobby glanced down at the soup. Shit, now what the hell should he do? Did he wake them up or…?

"You gonna stand there all day?" came a quiet voice from the couch. Green eyes stared back at him; Dean obviously wasn't willing to leave his brothers unprotected, even despite how tired he himself must be. Bobby felt a little bit more respect for the boy, even in spite of himself.

"You hungry?" Bobby asked quietly.

Dean shook his head. "Don't think I can move without waking the kids up. Noise won't bother them, but me not being there would. Not hungry anyway, damn medication they've got me on is messing with my appetite."

Bobby wished he had known that before going to the effort of making the soup in the first place, but he supposed it would keep. Bobby set the tray down on the cluttered coffee table for now, before turning his attention back to the teenager.

"You know there's three perfectly good beds upstairs," Bobby commented.

Dean, damn him, just smirked. "We're good for now." Then the kid had the audacity to nod to a small space on the couch next to Sam. "In fact there's room for one more if you want, as long as you don't mind a bit of drool. Sam sleeps with his mouth wide open."

Bobby rolled his eyes. "I'll pass, thanks."

"Your loss," Dean said, then closed his eyes for a long moment before opening them again. Bobby knew the kid was tired, but he had a feeling Dean would do whatever it took to stay awake as long as he thought he needed to look out for his brothers. Bobby decided to give him an out.

"If you're good here, I'm going to head out to my workshop. Got some orders to fill."

"What you working on?" Dean asked, and Bobby noticed genuine curiosity in his eyes. An interest in cars– well, that he could work with.

"When your brothers go back to school, I can show you if you want?" Bobby offered, not really sure why.

Dean nodded. "They're going back tomorrow. You got a car I can borrow?"

"You ain't driving them," Bobby said immediately.

"Try and stop me," Dean replied stubbornly.

"I won't need to, your injuries'll do that for me."

"We'll see."

"No, we won't, ya idjit," Bobby replied. "It ain't happening. I'll drive them, but… " he held up a hand to stall further protests, "To stop you throwing a fit about it, you can come with us, make sure I drop them off at the right school. And I ain't talking to no teachers, I ain't your daddy."

Dean obviously recognised that this was the best he was going to get, and nodded in reluctant acceptance. "Fine. But you won't need to talk to any teachers, I already called ahead a couple of days before the accident, they should have everything set up. I assume someone told the school what happened."

"Jody did," Bobby replied. At Dean's questioning look, he clarified, "Deputy Sheriff Mills."

"Okay, good," Dean said, and Bobby could see him filing the information away. "Then everything should be find. Dad won't be back for a while, but as long as the school know we're here, and not on our own, there shouldn't be any trouble with CPS."

Bobby wondered what it was like to be constantly on guard against child protective services. His own childhood had hardly been a walk in the park but at least he had had a warm bed and somewhere to call home, as shitty as it had been. These boys had nothing but each other.

But maybe that was enough. Who was he to judge?

"Right then, I'll leave you boys to it," Bobby said. "Sam and Adam know where the guest room is, third bed is already made up. In the meantime, TV is all yours. I'll leave the soup in the kitchen, if you get hungry, help yourself."

Dean nodded, and Bobby took that as his cue to leave, but just as he was about to walk out the door, Dean cleared his throat.

"Thanks, Bobby," Dean said awkwardly, and although it was said somewhat reluctantly, Bobby got the impression that it was sincere, and that the thanks was for more than just the tv and food. Suddenly, Bobby felt the weight of what he'd got himself into hit him. He had gone from living alone and hunting on the weekends, to being responsible for three kids in the space of a few days.

Bobby cursed in his head. He tried to tell himself he have faced worst threats, but if their daddy was anything to go by, he wasn't sure that was true.

Damn Winchesters…

A/N – So how was it? Is everyone still in character? As I've said before, I'm fairly new to the Supernatural fandom (I only started watching during lockdown in the summer), but I have watched all but the most recent season so I think I'm fairly caught up on everything! Any opinions on my story so far would be very welcome either way! For now, I hope everyone is okay out there, and that you're finding joy wherever you can! Until next time, thanks for reading!