A/N: Hey! Sorry, I'm still alive! Is it me, or does every chapter I write start with apologies? Well, I had exams and then I was doing overtime, and then my laptop died, and then decided live was worth living and then, if you believe it, it deleted all my fanfics…lucky I managed to get everything back! So that's why it took me so long to update!

Right, loads of information is revealed in this chapter…that's all I'm saying! =P

And take Adam's words seriously. Drink responsibly. Or take a leave out of my book and don't drink at all. That's right…a teenager who doesn't drink! We exist! Although my relatives don't believe me…

I want to thank everyone that's favourited me and my stories recently. It means a lot. And thank you for all the reviews. They make me very happy.

Previously in World's Apart:

Sam and Dean found out who Adam is, and that his mother had tragically died the week before. They've been on two hunts since then; the Wendigo where Adam found out the family secret and in the last chapter, they went to hunt Bloody Mary where Adam had an incident with the mirror…

Chapter 5 – Tell Me A Secret.

Sam glanced up from his laptop screen to check on a sleeping Adam. Or perhaps unconscious was the more appropriate word. He yawned, and forcing to keep his eyes open just a little bit longer, he saved the page he was researching and closed down the laptop, just as Dean entered the motel room carrying overflowing bags filled with various food items and medical supplies.

"He woken up at all?" Dean demanded, dumping the bags on the small kitchen counter, and then proceeding to rake through the medical supplies.

"Nope," Sam replied wearily as he stood up, wincing as his back cracked, and he wandered over to unpack the groceries, glancing at Dean who sighed, and threw himself on the bed closest to the door.

After an argument with the TV…which he lost, Dean decided to pass the time until Adam regained consciousness by counting the holes in the dirt covered carpet. When that killed all of five minutes – there were sixteen – he sighed and turned to Sam. "It's been a couple of hours. Wake him up. He shouldn't be sleeping so much after that anyways."

"I read that as long as the person is woke at regular intervals, it is perfectly ok to sleep after a head trauma. It has been scientifically proven that-"

"Right, professor Winchester. When I want to become a doctor, I'll ask you! But in the meantime, wake up the midget, ok?" Dean rolled his eyes.

"You do it."

"No, you."

"Dean…"

"I'm the oldest."

"So?" Sam demanded incredulously.

"Sammy…"

"Fine!" Sam sighed in resignation. "Fine." He stood up and wandered over to where the youngest male was sprawled on the bed, buried under a cocoon of blankets, with a tuft of dark blonde hair poking out of the top of the covers. He placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and lightly shook it. "Adam? Hey, c'mon. Wake up."

The youngest Winchester groaned and turned his head to the side, his eyes remaining firmly closed.

"Adam."

"Hmm?"

"Wake up."

"Mm."
"Adam!"

His eyelids sprang open, revealing a pair of crystal blue eyes, and a confused scowl appeared on his face. "Where are we?" He yawned and cringed as pain swept through his head. He glanced around the room whilst massaging his forehead. "How'd we get back to the motel?"

"We carried you." Dean replied calmly, "Well…I did, and Sammy sat with you in the impa-"

"You carried me?" Adam's eyebrow rose.

"You're not exactly heavy, kiddo. You need to eat more…are you ok?" He suddenly demanded as Adam turned a funny colour and his mouth clamped shut.

Sam rolled his eyes, grabbed a nearby trash can, and thrust it under Adam's face, just as the kid spewed out the contents of his stomach.

"Lovely." Dean grimaced as the smell wafted up towards his nostrils. He scowled as Sam passed the bin over to him. "What?"

"Empty it. I'll go look for something to settle his stomach. Then we need to talk, ok?" he glanced at Adam, who sighed and weakly nodded.

Adam sat back against the headboard, breathing heavily as his fingers fiddled with the frayed edges of the faded blue blankets covering the lower part of his body. He'd had a similar one as a kid, and his mom had always loved telling everyone about how the first thing she'd done when she'd found out she was pregnant, was knit a baby blue blanket. She knew it was a boy, much to the midwife's amusement. A small smile appeared on his face, as Dean interrupted with, "Really takes it outta ya, don't it? Hunting monsters." He chuckled as he looked at Adam. "Seriously though, you gonna be ok?"

Adam nodded. Then shrugged. "Are they…are they all as bad as that…thing?"

His brother also shrugged. "Most of 'em will try and kill ya. 'Spose they don't take too kindly to the whole idea of eternal peace in the afterlife and all that jazz."

"Do you think my mom's in heaven?" Adam suddenly asked, his eyes wide. "She wasn't a bad person. She was a nurse! And – and a great mom! And –"

They pretended to ignore the tears gathering in his eyes as Sam smiled sadly, "I'm sure she is, Adam."

Dean caught Sam's eyes as an awkward silence filled the room. Sam shrugged again and looked back at Dean, who glared, sighed, and then turned back to Adam who was staring intently at his hands.

"So…Adam…? Wanna tell us about your mom's boyfriend?" Dean suddenly demanded, cringing as Adam winced.

"Uh…" he coughed, his mouth suddenly dry as he ran his hands through his dark blonde hair. "Not much to tell, really…" He continued at Dean's pointed glare, "Well, I…I didn't really see him that much…really. I had school. And then…well, I stayed in my room most of the time…"

"Did he give you any trouble?" Sam asked carefully, regarding his little brother.

Adam blinked. "Not…really. I mean, we argued. I guess…I could cause an argument with anyone…"

"Not really, Adam. You're pretty quiet. Who told you that?" Sam interjected warily.

"Well…he did. But it is true, I suppose. I did silly things, you know. So I deserved the…arguments. As I said, I didn't really see him much…" Adam shrugged.

"What do you mean by 'silly things'?" Dean demanded, lowering his tone of voice after an exasperated glare from Sam.

"Well…I answered back to him. And I wouldn't get his beer out of the fridge…when he asked." Adam shrugged again. "I don't like drinking much." They didn't miss his eyes flicker over to the beer cases Dean had purchased earlier, or the frown on his face when he realised the large quantity there.

"How come?" Dean could have smacked himself. Repeatedly. He had meant to ask the kid why he wouldn't drink. Dean had been well accustomed to alcohol when he was Adam's age…and man, did that make him feel old. Hell, even Sammy had experienced a few drinks at that age, and that kid didn't even know the definition of the word 'party'.

Adam seemed to think hard about that one. "Well, I suppose…I think I don't like what it does to people. It gives them false confidence, they become violent and there's sick everywhere. My mom is…was…a nurse, and she is always…was always telling me about kids getting their stomachs pumped and stuff."

Dean stared at him. "You know, I don't think you've ever said so much in one go. We should record this Sammy!"

Adam's lips turned up slightly, "Just don't think you should talk unless there's something worth saying. My opinion doesn't matter much, so –"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold it, midget! What do you mean by that?"

"Dunno." Adam shrugged again. "I don't have many friends, and my mom was the only one who talked to me. Steve only did if he wanted something."

"Well, you've got us no-" Sam started, but Dean interrupted with, "Who's Steve?"

"Mom's boyfriend," He muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Does he know about your mom?" Sam asked gently.

Something strange flickered in Adam's eyes. "I guess. It was all over the papers. And the neighbours know too."

"Do you want to contact him?" Dean asked carefully.

"No!" Adam shook his head ferociously and growled, " I don't want to see him!"

"Why?" Sam asked in confusion.

"Didn't you hear anything I just said? He abused us!" Adam demanded incredulously, as he sat up and glared menacingly at his brothers.

Dean threw his hands up in mock-surrender and sighed, "Whoa! Sorry. Well, this…Steve? Is there any reason he'd have to hurt your mom?"

Adam froze, and muttered, "Don't think so."

Sam suddenly bent down to his brother's level on the bed, and asked quietly and cautiously, "I need you to answer this, ok?" He paused, and then continued as Adam nodded, "Did Steve ever…hurt your or your mom?"

"Adam?" A quiet voice called out from the other side of the wooden bathroom door. "Can you please come out?"

Adam moved further into the corner of the bathroom into the small space between the sink and shower. He brought his legs up to his chest, and rested his head on his knees, his arms curling around his legs and effectively locking himself away from the outside world. He shuddered as the cold dull tiles of the walk pressed into his frozen skin, and the bruises he'd obtained from the Bloody Mary incident still ached. He sighed in frustration, wondering how he always managed to get himself into these awkward situations. He couldn't stay in this tiny bathroom forever…he'd have to leave sometime. Well…they say there's no time like the present…

He slowly stood up, using the sink to pull his tired body from the floor, then he shuffled his way across the closet-like bathroom, and taking a deep breath, he threw open the bathroom door, and walked straight into his brothers…literally.

"Adam…what did he do to you?" Sam whispered, shaking his head.

Adam's head snapped up to stare at his brothers in shock, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly open.

"I'm guessing by your earlier reaction that he did something…"

Adam slowly nodded, lowering his eyes to stare at the fascinating torn carpet. "Uh…he'd get drunk and…" he trailed off and shrugged.

"You or your mom?" Dean asked carefully, knowing exactly what Adam couldn't say out loud.

"Both. Mostly mom though…If I…tried to…stop him…he'd turn…" Adam shivered and gulped.

"How bad?"

Adam turned around, and slowly lifted up the back of his long-sleeved top to reveal a back covered in various scars and fading bruises.

"Oh, Adam…" Sam whispered in horror, words failing him.

"They were worse if I fought back…" he admitted quietly.

Sam stepped forward warily, and placed his hand on his abused little brother's shoulder, and squeezed it slightly, conveying what he couldn't say through his actions….he cared, and Adam needed to know that. Now more than ever. "We need to know, Adam…could he have killed your mom?"

Adam shivered. He opened and closed his mouth a few times and finally blurted out, his eyes impossibly wide, "I tried to stop him! Honest! I came home from school and…he had his hands around her neck, she was hitting him back…he never liked it when we fought back…I tried…" Tears starting pouring down his face, making him appear even younger than he was, and his breathing grew heavier, "He let go and turned on me and she hit him and then…" He gulped, "He turned on her and he wouldn't stop hitting her…she wouldn't stop screaming at him…there was so much blood…" he trailed off as he was overcome with tears and all his brothers could do was stare at him in horror.

A/N: Will Sam and Dean be able to bring Adam out of his little shell? Maybe, maybe not. It might be quite nice in there, after all. Nice and cosy. And safe.

Ohhh yeah. And I have nothing against the name Steve. Sorry if there's any Steve's out there. I just picked a name at random! =P

And there was rather a lot of information to take in there, wasn't there? Sorry! I hope it flowed ok…I wasn't sure if it did.

P.S. Song – 'Tell Me A Secret' by Twenty Twenty.

=)

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