It was no surprise when Sam agreed instantly to Dean's stipulation. Then it came down to Oscar, and both brothers glanced over at him. Sam's face was hopeful, his eyes wide at the thought of being able to climb around the room on his own. Dean's face was trying to stay stern, but the sight of his smaller brother being so excited… more excited than he'd been since being cursed, was breaking through his normally tough facade.

Oscar let out a breath, letting it take some tension with it. He'd actually stood up to a human. A human, someone big enough to pluck him up with just two fingers if he wanted to. Someone who could easily have taken the pin and thread away from Sam and made his decision final.

Instead, he'd given them a condition on Sam's learning to climb.

"You just ... you just wanna keep your hands under us while we're climbing?" he repeated, thinking it over. It would be kind of intimidating to have such big hands so nearby, hovering. But then again, it was a safety net Oscar had never had, and one that Sam might appreciate having at first. Tables and nightstands were high up.

"Well I don't mind," he decided. He'd stood up to Dean enough, and didn't feel like pushing his luck. He really didn't mind, though he hoped Dean realized that eventually he'd have to let Sam climb on his own. He wasn't going to point that out just yet. After the scowl and stern looks had formed on the face up above him, Oscar was all out of boldness.

Dean nodded sharply at that. "Good." He glanced between them. "I'm holding you both to that," he said, trying to keep up his stern facade. It was fading a little more each second. At the very least, he'd gotten them to agree to a spotter while Sam learned to climb. And Dean had no intention of just spotting Sam; Oscar was even smaller. If he slipped and fell, he could get badly hurt just trying to teach Sam. Dean would be there to catch him.

Sam, who knew better than to take Dean completely serious at any time, hugged his safety pin and thread close to his chest. He was too excited to let his older brother's worry get him down. "That means I get to climb around on my own!" He gave Oscar the biggest, happiest smile, showing off his teeth. "Thank you!"

Oscar couldn't help but brighten, too. Sam's gratitude and hopeful outlook was infectious, and a shy smile spread over Oscar's face. "Of course, Sam. Someone's gotta teach you, after all." The other boy might be a little bit behind in learning such an essential skill, but Oscar was pretty sure he'd be able to make up for it. And at least they had Dean around to make sure no one fell. Even Oscar hadn't had that when he learned.

He was excited to be able to help someone else pick up the skill. It would help Oscar sharpen his own ability, and it gave him a reason to keep coming back to visit the humans. He'd never had a friend before. Now, he might end up with two, if Dean really did approve of the idea of Oscar being Sam's teacher.

"You said you never tried to throw anything so high? How far can you throw that pin?" he asked, curious. Oscar knew humans were stronger than he'd ever be able to accomplish. He wondered how strong Sam would be if he hadn't been shrunk down. Now, he had less strength to work with, but he'd have to make the most of it. "Maybe you should try it, just to see."

Sam stared down at the pin in his hands. He took a moment to marvel over the fact that it was a safety pin, of all things, and it was almost the length of his arm. " 'Kay," he said. He started to unravel the thread, letting it fall to the tabletop in coils near his feet.

Dean leaned forward, pinching a bit of the thread between his fingers and held it up to his eyes. "Isn't it a little… thin?" he asked dubiously.

Sam tugged the thread away from him. "It's like rope," he said dryly. "You're just too big." Before going any further, now that the thread was completely off the safety pin, he gave it a good yank on the knot to test it for himself. It didn't budge at all. Oscar's knot was sound.

He took a step back, cocking his arm back. He let the safety pin fly, arching through the air with the thread trailing after it.

Dean's eyebrows went up in appreciation at the air it caught. "Dude, you could be on the football team!" he said, impressed at the distance.

The safety pin clattered to the ground just past the homework Dean had scattered about, a good three feet away from the two smaller kids. Sam brightened at the sight. "I could never throw that far before!" he exclaimed.

Oscar stood on the tips of his toes to see just a little farther and observe where the pin had landed. Of course, he didn't really add much to his height doing that, but it felt like he could see better. He smiled approvingly. "Well, it's a good thing you can now," he commented. Sam was clearly stronger than Oscar, with that good of a first throw. He'd probably learn what he needed in no time at all.

Oscar knelt to pull his cloth bag over his shoulder and set it down on the table. He wouldn't need it for now. He opened it up and hastily pulled out his own safety pin, undoing the coiled thread too.

In response to Dean's worries, he decided to point out "Even if the string is kinda thin, it's the knot that matters, I think." Oscar had seen a number of his early attempts at the right knot come undone with just a slight weight, but tying even his thin threads the right way enabled him to drag heavy things along if he needed to.

"Y-you should see the thread I use to sew things," he mused, wandering along the stretched out string of Sam's new grappling line. He stopped before a huge piece of notebook paper and looked back up at the human. "Well. Maybe you couldn't actually see it ..." he realized, raising his eyebrows.

Dean blinked at that in surprise. "What do you mean I couldn't…" His eyes trailed briefly over Oscar. The clothing the kid was wearing was more ragged that what Dean or Sam usually wore… though Sam only had the one set of clothing, and they'd been forced to search for more for him. In the end, they'd found a place where they could order custom 'doll clothes,' and that would have to serve as a replacement. Sam always complained about how itchy it was, no matter how soft it felt to Dean when he checked the fabric the clothes were made out of.

Sam tried to wear his one set of regular clothing as much as he could, but he was already starting to outgrow it. Eventually, he'd have nothing else to wear but the doll clothing, unless they found a cure for his curse and got him back to normal. Every day that passed by with him still small, that goal felt a little further away. They were all starting to adjust to him so small, no matter how much they willed it otherwise.

No matter what, Dean would never stop searching.

He didn't get to do much research, compared to what John or Bobby put in. He didn't have ready access to a library outside of their school, and the books at Bobby's were out of reach while they were on the road. But he took advantage of every second that he could, and did his best to keep Sam from finding out how desperate they were growing. Everyday without an answer was a day where another lead fell through, and another day for the witch to get further out of reach.

"Oscar, do you make your clothes yourself?" Dean asked. His curiosity made him forget to use the playful nickname in his urge to know. It made sense, since Oscar couldn't exactly go to the store to pick out a new set of clothing. Something like that might be useful to know, with the way that doll clothing was less than ideal and Sam was starting his growth spurts, carefully charted by Dean as he compared his brother's growth week to week.

Oscar glanced down at his shirt, pinching the fabric. It was already thin compared to anything Dean would wear. That thicker fabric would be too cumbersome and could limit mobility at the worst of times. Fraying it down to useable threads and weaving it back into something better was something he'd been learning from his mom.

"I didn't make these," he answered, holding his arms up a little to indicate the clothes he had on. "Except the shoes... I made those myself to practice. My mom made the rest. I made a shirt myself but that's back home."

Oscar hadn't been growing very quickly. That was the main reason he was still able to wear most of what his mother had made most recently for him. Even the shirt he had on had some room to grow into it. His skinny frame didn't come close to filling it and the sleeves were a little long. It was a good thing, because his weaving was slow and his sewing wasn't much faster.

"I gotta make it myself. When I'm taller I'll need clothes that fit so I don't get cold. It's hard to get warm again once the cold gets in." He picked up the string from Sam's hook and absently reeled it back in for him, wondering if Sam would agree with that or not. After all, he could be out in the heated room without as much worry, but the space between the walls was not heated at all.

Dean's brow pinched with concern as he listened. Oscar was talking about making the clothes himself in the future, but he said his mother had made them in the past. Dean reached forward tentatively, brushing a finger briefly against one of Oscar's arms while he reeled in the thread. The fabric looked ragged, but it was soft against his fingertip. Softer than even the doll clothes that they got for Sam.

Oscar, startled by the sudden approach and touch of a huge hand, gasped and flinched his arm away. But Dean didn't move to grab him, merely felt the thin fabric of Oscar's little shirt. It was probably some of the thinnest cloth Dean had ever seen, so Oscar couldn't fault him for being curious, even if it had alarmed him. When he looked up past the hand to its owner, he was surprised to see concern written clearly in those green eyes above.

"Oscar, where's your mom?" Dean asked uneasily. The kid had come back to visit them in the middle of the day. Did anyone else know where he was if he got into any trouble? After all, he'd been captured just yesterday by Dean himself. What if it was someone else that had nabbed the kid? What if they didn't want to let him go? Was there anyone out there that would be able to help him out?

Oscar's eyes widened a little and he looked back to the task of reeling in the pin Sam had hurled across the table. He felt his face blushing fire and he wondered what the brothers would say if he told them the truth. He shrugged, realizing that the look on Dean's face had meant he knew already.

Dean had him figured out.

"I dunno," he answered, turning to hand off the pin to Sam so he could try another practice throw if he wanted. He tried to think of how long it had been. Oscar was saddened to realize that he didn't really remember; it had been around a year because he was seven then and he was eight now. "She didn't come home," he added, holding his hands behind his back once they were free. His expression was earnest when he looked up at Dean again.

"B-but I learned a lot before she went, so I promise I can still be a good teacher!" Oscar's voice was determined, but it still wavered with the worry that they wouldn't believe him.

Dean let out a chuckle at Oscar's defensiveness, but it was subdued. He held out a hand to hold off anymore words. "Chill, little dude, I believe you. After all, if you didn't know what you were doing, you wouldn't have been sneaking in our room in the first place, right?" He gave Oscar a wink, trying to hide his own worry. Oscar was just a kid, a kid that barely topped two inches in height, and he was surviving in a world that was clearly against him without any help.

"But maybe we can pay you back for teaching Sammy," Dean thought out loud while Sam took back his new safety pin and thread from the younger kid. "I'm sure Sam wouldn't mind having you around, so you can stop by whenever you want. We'll be here for at least a month on our own. We've got the room to ourselves. You're more than welcome to drop in and hang out. After all, we've got cable, plus a credit card so we don't have to worry about running out of money for food this time."

He gave the kid a gentle smile. It wasn't like sharing their food with Oscar would even slightly strain their resources for the month. Sam couldn't finish off a bite of food on his own, and Oscar was even smaller. Dean wouldn't have to steal food this time around if he rationed the money right.

They'd be able to keep Oscar from getting into any other trouble while he was around, too. If he didn't have to sneak out to other rooms to gather supplies, he wouldn't be in danger. After all, there was no one else around to look out for him. He was younger than Sammy with no family to rely on at his small size.

Oscar perked up again, his worries shedding away as Dean's offer really sank in. A trade wasn't something he'd even thought about. There was so little he could do to trade with people normally, since resources were so tight. This time he had something to offer. He wasn't sure what a credit card was, but his heart lifted at the thought of being able to eat every day while they were here. Even if it was only a little while, he had a chance to earn himself some food.

"Okay!" he answered enthusiastically, a smile showing up on his face. He could keep coming back to see them. Oscar was practically giddy over the fact; there might even be time to just play around, something he hadn't really been able to do much for a while.

He looked over at Sam hopefully. Though he thought he knew the answer already, Oscar decided to ask anyway. "That's okay with you, right?" Sam was the first kid close to Oscar's own age that he'd ever met. He hoped they could get along. Sam might be able to help Oscar learn how to be brave when it came to such big humans.

"Of course!" Sam said with a wide grin for both Oscar and Dean. They might have had a bump in the road when they first met, but the older Winchester was clearly starting to win over the kid. "Who else can I race when I learn to climb?"

" 'Race?' " Dean frowned at the thought. "Yeah, I don't think so, pint-size. This is so you have a way to get around the room."

"Whatever you say, Dean," Sam said, waving his big brother off. "I can't wait to learn!" He was practically bouncing in place from excitement; first from discovering he could learn to climb, reluctant Dean or not, second from making a new friend who wanted to come back and visit them more.

Oscar's smile remained bright on his face. He hadn't been this happy about something in ages. Sam's enthusiasm was infectious, and he was determined to be the best teacher he could. Sam had a lot to learn, and as his new friend Oscar would make sure he learned it. Especially since they were letting him have food in return for his help.

"Once you get the basics out of the way it's real easy," he commented. "Then you can go almost anywhere." He didn't say it, but a race sounded fun. And it was another good way to learn. Sometimes a climb needed to be made quickly, and a climb down even faster than that. Oscar's view on the matter was centered entirely on avoiding notice, though, which was a moot point with Dean spotting their progress.

"I've never watched the TVs before or spent time out in the rooms. It's too scary by myself." Oscar wondered if he'd get a chance to look out the window. He'd only ever heard about the outdoors from his mom. He knew it was a big world out there, but he didn't even know what it looked like.

"You don't have to be afraid in here anymore," Sam said brightly. "Dean'll watch out for us. He always does."

Dean laughed and ruffled Sam's hair with a light finger. Ever since shrinking down, his hair was growing out messily. He'd brushed off any offers or attempts to help trim the hair from Dean and John both (hiding away in Dean's pocket when John had wanted to cut it), and didn't seem to mind the bangs that hung in his eyes.

Sam pushed at the finger in annoyance, and Dean took it away. "You two can relax as long as you're in this room." He gave them a wink with a smirk. "After all, I'm the guy the monsters have nightmares about." With him there, nothing would get into the room. He had the salt spread out at any entrance, he had his trusty colt that he cleaned assiduously, and even some cat's eye shells that John had left with them for protection. And of course, no humans would get into the room either. It was too dangerous to let anyone else close to either Sam or Oscar.

That made Oscar pause. He chewed his lip thoughtfully and wondered if he'd heard Dean correctly. Or if the human was making a joke of some kind. After a few seconds of being unable to work out what Dean meant, Oscar finally caved in and asked. "Monsters? What do you mean?"

In Oscar's experience, there were monsters out there, and plenty of them. They checked into the motel rooms or ran the front desk or delivered food for the vending machines. Humans were large and could do whatever they wanted, and they were scary and loud most of the time. Dean, it seemed, was a very rare exception.

Other than that, he hadn't heard of other monsters being real. Just stories to make human kids as scared as Oscar was of them. They didn't have to deal with giants so they made up their own adversaries ... right? "What kinda monsters?"

Sam glanced back over at him as he hefted up his safety pin for another throw. "Well… like the monster that cursed me," he replied quietly. "Dad says it was a witch, and he's trying to track her down so we can fix me one day."

Dean crossed his arms in front of him so he could rest his head on them. It made talking to kids that didn't reach three inches in height a little easier. "Our dad hunts monsters, and keeps them from hurting people. I'm gonna be a hunter just like him, so I can keep bad things from happening to any more kids like Sammy when I'm out of school." His eyes turned thoughtful, remembering that fateful day. A flash of light, and him falling to the ground when John burst in. Sam, right there in front of him. So small, so fragile, and knocked out between fighting giants.

The first thing he'd done was grab his little brother up and cradle him as carefully as he could. It was a good thing he had considering how fast John had shoved him out the door. Sam could have easily been left behind in the chaos of that room, and Dean would never have forgiven himself if that had happened.

His two and a half inch brother, left defenseless in a room with a witch.

Sam went to throw the pin again. This time, it didn't make it as far, clattering to the table right next to where Dean's elbow was resting. Instead of waiting for Sam to reel it back in the way Oscar had done, Dean plucked it up and handed it off to his little brother.

Sam faced Oscar as he finished gathering up the thread. "There's other things. Like werewolves and spirits and demons. Our dad made sure there was nothing around this motel before he left us here, and we've got salt around any entrance. That way, they can't get in if they find us."

Oscar remembered stumbling over the pile of salt as he entered the room. And he remembered finding the piles of it by the door while he was exploring yesterday. It had confused him greatly, but now at least there was an explanation for it. The explanation wasn't much less confusing, but it was a step in the right direction.

"The salt keeps bad things away?" He glanced over to his vent, the entrance into the walls and his way in and out of the room. Did they think something bad might be lurking back there? Oscar couldn't fathom a monster being small enough to go that way. Or at least, he really sincerely hoped there weren't ghosts in his vents.

The fact that Dean was going to grow up to fight monsters struck him. Oscar realized his thoughts were jumping back and forth over the new information he'd just been given. He wasn't sure what to focus on first. "And you're gonna go looking for the bad things one day?" he asked of Dean, looking a little awestruck. "Isn't that ..." his cheeks turned red as he remembered how timid and fearful he'd already appeared, but he couldn't help it. "... scary?"

Dean shook his head emphatically. "I'm not gonna be scared. I'll be just like my dad and let those monsters know they can't mess with people like us and get away with it." Ever since Sam had been cursed, he knew it was the only path he'd ever follow. If there was a cure out there, he'd find it no matter what. Before that, there had been days where he'd dreamed of living a normal life, but now…

...Now, he'd dedicate his life to making sure no one else had to deal with a curse like Sam.

A/N

Sam's throw has gotten a lot better since shrinking down. :) And Oz, you can't hide the truth from the big brother in Dean. He knows. He picked up on you being alone already.

Next: December 16th