Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or it's characters and plots.

January 20, 2004

Dean suppressed an amused smile as they pulled away from the school, chancing a glance at his 13 year old brother who was slumped low in his seat with his arms crossed over himself, looking grouchy and red with embarrassment. Dean sighed and turned back to the road, enjoying the winter's warm, midday rays as he settled on how to approach this situation. It was only noon; long before Dean should be picking his brother up.

"So…" Dean started and paused when Adam huffed an unwilling sigh, "mind telling me why mister Zachary Fry deserved a punch in the face?"

Adam only shrugged, causing Dean to take a minute to search the kid's face.

"Steal your lunch money or something?" When Adam remained silent, Dean continued, "Trip you in the halls? Tease you in front of a girl you like? Sick a pack of rabid garden gnomes on you?"

"Dean…" Adam frowned, frustrated, stopping his brother's questions before he could get too carried away.

Dean looked over, trying to gauge his brother again, "'Cause you know, if it was anything like that you coulda just told me and I would have given him a beat down for you."

Adam snorted, "Yeah, I can just see you beating up a fourteen year old."

"Anything for my little brother." Dean said flashing him a winning grin causing Adam role his eyes.

"Whatever."

After another couple minutes driving, Dean tried again.

"Seriously, dude, what's going on? Was he like bullying you or something?"

When Adam just shifted slightly in his seat, Dean frowned.

"Seriously?"

Adam just gave another one of his pretend-careless shrugs and Dean clenched his jaw and muttered an obscenity, then left an expectant silence to his brother.

"He called me an orphan whose brother got stuck with, because no one else would want a freak like me." Adam confessed to his knees after another long silence.

Dean's eyebrows shot up at that, damn, kids were getting mean.

"So you broke the kid's nose?" Adam went an even deeper red of embarrassment and Dean chuckled, "Good job, kiddo." Dean praised lightly, reaching across the seat to give his brother a little nudge, "S'what I would have done."

Dean's smile faded when he wasn't able to pull a smile from his brother.

"You know it's not true right? There are tons of people who would take care of you if something happened to me: Pasture Jim, Uncle Bobby, Caleb and I mean you'll always have dad, he's pretty much invincible-" Dean tried to reassure but was cut short.

"Nothing's gonna happen to you." Adam snapped at him, making Dean's brow crease, concerned.

"Well I wasn't planning on dying anytime soon. I'm just making sure you don't believe any of the shit that idiot kid's told you, you're smarter than that Adam." Dean defended.

Adam looked up at his brother from under his lashes; he'd cut his hair short, so he couldn't hide under his bangs anymore.

"I know, sorry." Adam said rather sheepishly.

Dean nodded, satisfied, "Good." And paused before mocking the principal of Adam's school in a high pitched voice, "I don't allow bullying in my school Mr. Winchester." Dean laughed shortly, "I have half a mind to turn around and set that bitch straight. Don't allow bullying my ass." He muttered; shaking his head, hands clench over the steering wheel.

Dean's angry mutterings finally pulled a laugh out of his brother, making Dean's head snap around happily.

"Don't worry about it, Dean. It's a week's suspension; we can go check out that haunting four towns over." Adam reassured, smiling lightly.

Dean couldn't help but agree. He'd been wanting to get over there for a while now but it was too far to drive back and forth between during the week and they'd gone during this last weekend but weren't able to figure it out before Adam had to get back to school for some big poetry exam he had to take on Tuesday.

"Yeah, I guess." Dean said with a small frown, "But don't think you can go and get yourself suspended every time you feel like missing some school."

Adam laughed, "Scout's honor."

"You were never a scout." Dean accused.

"I could have been." Adam said, defensively.

"'Cause you're such a capable woodsman." Dean scoffed.

"What? You didn't like my Macaroni and Cheese I made us when we were hunting that black dog in Wisconsin?" Adam asked, looking hurt.

"Dude, it was runny and it had black things in it."

"Pfft, I wasn't the one who spilt half the package on the ground, so you can blame yourself for the dirt." Adam glared.

"You picked that shit off the ground?!"

"Did you want to go hungry?"

"As opposed to eating dirt, yes. Yes I would."

"Well, fine. Next time you can cook."

"I already regret not doing it last time. You could have said something, I had skittles you know."

"Right, cause candy is so nutritious."

"Oh yeah, and your defiled Kraft Dinner is so much better."

"…Defiled?"

"Shut up, I know big words."

Adam laughed as they pulled into their motel parking lot. Once Dean put the car into park, he turned in his seat to look at his brother seriously.

"You're okay, right? Don't need a hug or something?" It was said with just enough joking that it could be laughed off, but with enough earnestly that Adam knew no one would be judging if he accepted the offer. Adam decided that was all the assurance he needed.

"I think I'll pass on the chick-flick moment, thanks." Adam said with a small eye role.

"You got it." Dean responded with an exaggerated sigh of relief as he pulled himself out the driver's side door, followed closely by his brother. They had some packing to do.

A/N: Sorry for making you wait so long for this update, guys, but I've been on vacation and I meant to post before I left last Tuesday, but there was so much going on I completely forgot lol. As for the chapter, I know it's kinda short but it was just supposed to be character building. Hoping it turned out alright. Thanks for all the encouragement everyone :)