(Ok chapter 10. Not my best chapter I'll admit but I'm happy with it.
This is unbeated so all mistakes are mine and mine alone.
I do not own Supernatural.
Thank you so much to ArtistKurai, PriWinchester and LilyBolt for your reviews on chapter 9.
I hope you like this chapter.)
Both brothers where on pin and needles over the next few weeks as they waited for a call or letter telling them of their court hearing and Dean was starting to show signs of exhaustion thanks to the stress of waiting and Sam's nightmares starting up again. He had fallen asleep during his large engine class and although Kenny tried to wake him up, Dean was on the reserving end of Mr. Dahl's punishments which ended in a discussion about getting a good night's rest and a short essay on why people needed it that was due the next time they had class.
"Dean!" a voice yelled as he stepped out of his class into the crowded hall and started walking tourds the nearest exit. He barely had time to turn around before he was slammed into by Rachelle.
"Ooph, hey Rach, what's up?" Dean asked putting a hand up to hide a yawn.
"Not much, how are you doing?" Rach asked her brown eyes looking over him "You look terrible."
"Thanks." Dean sarcastically said rolling his green eyes.
"Sorry, but you do." Rachelle laughed and gave him a kiss.
"I just haven't been getting a lot of sleep, Sam and I got interviewed two weeks ago and we hadn't heard back from them yet and on top of that Sam started having nightmares about John again." Dean said trying, and failing to stop a yawn as he started walking down the hallway hand in hand with Rach.
"That has to suck." Rach sighed.
"It does." Dean agreed "I'm just hoping that once this custody thing is out of the way they will stop." He yawned again as he followed Rachelle into the cafeteria and sat down at a table.
"I'll be right back Dean." Rach said grabbing her purse and weaved in between students making her way up to get something. Dean just sat there with his eyes closed. He decided that he'd be of no use in math so was just going to walk Rach to her art class and then go home and hopefully get some shut eye before Sam got home.
"I wish there was a way I could help." Rach said startling Dean awake as she came back with a large coffee and a roll. She handed the coffee to Dean which he took gratefully and took a swig.
"Well, this may sound cheesy, but you are helping. Just by being here." Dean said.
"Yeah, you're right, that is cheesy." Rach laughed and passed him part of the roll to him to eat. Dean grinned again.
"So, any big planes for the afternoon?" She asked changing the topic.
"Not really, going home and getting some sleep." Dean said through yet another yawn "Sam is going to be walking home from school, so I won't have to get him."
"So you two finally talked it out?" Rach asked trying not to pry into the argument to much.
"Yeah, after the kid gave me a heart attack." Dean grumbled playfully. Rachelle smiled and popped another piece of roll into her mouth licking the frosting off her fingers.
"Dean, why didn't you tell the police that your dad tried to kill Sam and have them deal with it?" Rach asked curiously she had been wanting to ask that since Dean had told her about why they had runaway but held back. Dean sighed and looked around the cafeteria where some students were sitting on chairs reading from textbooks, listening to walk-mans, eating or else just talking not paying any attention to two more students.
"Well, I don't really trust cops and if I did tell them then Sam would have been taken away to a foster home and there is no way I'm letting my younger brother go and live with strangers." Dean said "And it may happen anyway." He said that so quietly that Rach almost didn't hear it.
"Dean, look, you're a great brother and a great guardian." Rach said "If the state and county doesn't see that then they are blind and are not putting the need of the child first." She smiled and finished up the roll and got her stuff together and Dean walked her to the art room. She gave him another quick kiss on the cheek and made a promise to call him later on that night and hurried into the classroom. Dean shook his head grinning and making his way around a throng of students he headed outside and to his house.
Once he got home he was surprised to find a letter from Bobby. He was debating on opening it up and reading it or waiting until Sam came home and reading it out loud to his younger brother as well. Rubbing his eyes Dean decided to wait until Sam came home knowing he'd never hear the end of it if he read the letter before his younger brother. He set his backpack down in the hall closet and pulled out his notebook to start writing the essay on why getting a good night's sleep was important but the second he sat down at the table his notebook in fount of him he was fast asleep all the sleepless nights finally getting to him. When he woke up it was black as pitch outside and in the apartment. Rubbing his neck he got up from the chair and groping his way to the light switch he flipped it on. Warm yellow light shown down on the table and Dean made his way into the kitchen and flipped the light on in there as well then glancing at the clock he was shocked to see that it was seven O' clock at night. He had never slept until seven at night before. Realizing that he slept right though Sam coming home he hurried to Sam's closed bedroom door knocked and entered. There was Sam fast asleep on his bed. Sighing in relief Dean backed out of the room wondering why he didn't wake up when his younger brother came home. Going back out to the kitchen he looked at the letter Bobby had sent and decided he'd open it after supper, if he could get Sam up. Dean opened the fridge and took out some left overs and started to heat them up for supper. As he was getting a plate he heard the soft click of a bedroom door opening and feet shuffling across the floor.
"Hey Sam, you hungry?" Dean asked quietly going to take another plate down. Sam didn't say anything but nodded and sat down at the table and put his head down and closed his eyes. They were quiet as Dean put meatloaf, mashed potatoes and corn onto a plate and heated it up in the microwave.
"Dean, I'm tired." Sam finally said in a quiet voice.
"Yeah, I'm tired too." Dean said taking out some glasses for some milk and setting one down in front of his younger brother.
"I'm sorry Dean." Sam whispered looking down at the table.
"For what?" Dean asked his eye brows bunched together puzzled.
"Well, if I didn't have those bad dreams, then you could get a good night's sleep and you wouldn't be tired." Sam explained.
"Oh, kiddo." Dean smiled "You have nothing to be sorry for, it's not your fault that I'm tired." He turned around and grabbed one of the plates from the microwave and snagged a fork from the drawer and set the plate down in front of Sam "Careful it's hot." Sam picked up the fork and cut a chunk of meatloaf and blew on it to cool it down as Dean turned away and heated up another plate.
"It's not your fault. I have other things on my mind that are making me not have a good night's rest." Dean explained punching the start button on the microwave a few time then turned back around to look at Sam. "What time did you come in at?"
"Three thirty, you were asleep, drooling." Sam said grinning slightly.
"I don't drool." Dean said in mock outrage.
"You so do." Sam said as he mixed his potatoes and corn together and started eating it. The timer beeped and Dean grabbed his own plate and brought it over to the table and sat down.
"How was school?" He asked as he cut up his meatloaf.
"It was good, not much is happening." Sam said taking a drink of milk.
"Sam, do you have any friends in school?" Dean asked looking at his younger brother.
"Yeah, a few, why?" Sam asked.
"You never mention any." Dean said "That's why."
"Oh, well, I guess they're not really worth mentioning." Sam said as he finished his meatloaf.
"Why not, they don't to drugs or drink do they?" Dean asked worriedly.
"Oh yeah, every day after school I meet up with my friends Mary Jane and Dopy to smoke pot behind the bleachers it's fun." Sam said sarcastically.
"Sam." Dean said glaring at him.
"Dean, come on, you know me. I wouldn't be hanging out with a bunch of druggies ok. Give me some credit." Sam rolled his eyes and finished his meal and put his plate into the sink.
"Sam, drink your milk." Dean said as Sam made to go back into his room. Sam heaved a sigh but turned around and went back to the table and downed his milk in two gulps.
"Thanks for supper Dean. I'm going to go to bed." Sam said wiping his face off with the sleeve of his shirt.
"Ok. Good night. I'll see you in the morning." Dean said still eating his supper.
"Ok, night." Sam said and went to get ready for bed. After he got done Dean washed both his and Sam's supper dishes and sat back down at the table to write the short essay on why sleep was important.