Sam met Dean outside the school crying for the second time in April of his first grade year while they were living in Arkansas.
"What happened?" Dean asked running over to where Sam sat on the steps.
"There was a b-b-b-ike race today," Sam cried. "A-a-a-and I don't know how to ride a bike and th-th-th-they all laughed a-a-a-at me."
Dean sat down next to Sam and pulled him into his side. "I'll teach you how to ride a bike."
"Y-y-y-you know h-h-h-how?" Sam said, his voice muffled by Dean's shirt.
"Uncle Bobby taught me when I was your age," Dean answered. "Out back of the salvage yard after school sometimes."
"Daddy didn't teach you?" Sam asked. "Everyone said that my dad should teach me because that's how everyone else learned. They said everyone knows and that my dad doesn't like me."
"No," Dean sighed. "Dad wasn't around to teach me either. I don't remember where he was, but we had a bike thing at school, too, so Bobby taught me. Dad likes you just fine. He doesn't have to teach you. I will."
"Oh," Sam said, as his breathing started to even out.
"Sammy," Dean chuckled. "I teach you everything, remember. I can teach you how to ride a bike."
"But we don't gotta bike, Dean," Sam pouted. "You can't."
"I'll figure it out," Dean smiled. "I always do right?"
Sam nodded into Dean's side.
"Come on," Dean said, gesturing out to the road. "Let's get home."
Dean took Sam's hand and pulled him along behind him, back to the hotel they were staying at for the time being. Their Dad had left for a hunt a few days before, telling Dean to only leave the room to go to school, and not to open the door for anyone. He said he'd be back in a week.
Sam sat on the bed he claimed as his and watched Dean start his homework. "Dean, can I ask you a question?"
"Already did, Sam," Dean looked up and smiled slyly. "What's up?"
"Where does Dad leave so much?" Sam asked. "Why can't he stay with us like all the other dads?"
"He's working," Dean answered.
"Yeah, but," Sam replied. "Everyone else's dad comes home at the end of the day from work and ours doesn't. And I can't ever talk about him, and I don't even know what he does for a job."
"That's cuz it's a secret," Dean said. "We can't tell anyone because no one can know Dad's real identity."
"That's why we move so much?"
Dean nodded and went back to his math worksheet. "Yep, have to keep moving or people will find out he's a spy."
"How come no one's figure it out?" Sam asked. "I mean, like, how come our schools haven't called each other and told them? If there's a spy out there with two kids someone would notice."
"Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to," Dean sighed.
"But I want the answers," Sam nodded. "I want to know everything. I want my life to make sense."
"Life doesn't make sense," Dean answered. "You just gotta learn to deal with it."
"Okay," Sam shrugged. "Can I watch tv?"
"Yeah, whatever you want Sammy."
Sam flicked through the channels before finding some cartoons and leaning back against the headboard, and then sighed. "Why can't we be normal?"
"We are normal, Sam."
"No, I mean, like, why don't I know how to ride a bike, and why don't we live in a house."
"We did live in a house," Dean answered. "And you complained the whole time about having your own room."
"Yeah," Sam sighed. "But, like, nobody else I know goes to three schools in one year. And everyone else has a bike, and a dog. Even Uncle Bobby has a dog."
"Dad would never let us have a dog in the car, Sam," Dean answered rolling his eyes. "Why do you care what everyone else does? I don't care, it shouldn't matter."
"But I wanna be like everyone else," Sam said.
"Being like everyone else is boring," Dean said. "You shouldn't try to be like everyone else. Then you blend in, and that's lame. Our life is cooler than everybody else's. Nobody in your class knows someone cool like Uncle Bobby, right? Everybody else's parents drive minivans and lame cars, right? Not awesome cars like Dad's? Our Dad's a spy, Sam. Everyone else's Dads have lame jobs like tax accounts and stuff. "
Sam nodded, he looked kind of sad, though.
"What's wrong?"
"I just wanna have friends and stuff. And we move around a lot and I can't really make good friends. Like Billy and Jacob are best friends. But I don't have a best friend."
"I thought I was your best friend," Dean smiled.
"Yeah," Sam said, squirming around on the bed a little. "But I want a best friend in my class too. So I can eat lunch with them and stuff. I don't like being alone. I have to eat lunch by myself every day because no one is enough friends with me to let me sit with them. I'm always the new kid."
Dean looked over at his brother who was staring straight ahead at the television. He'd always eaten lunch at school alone, played on the playground alone, separated himself from everyone, tried not to get attached. Dean had never felt like he needed anyone else but Sam. His life had revolved around Sam for so long he didn't know how to let anyone else in. All Sam wanted was to have someone who needed him like he needed Sam.
"You know how Dad is," Dean said softly. "He doesn't really listen to us, but when I was in first grade Uncle Bobby made him live in his town for the whole year so I wouldn't have to switch schools. And I heard that Uncle Bobby got kinda mad at Dad for moving us around so much. So maybe the next time we're there you can try to get Bobby to talk to Dad about it. Dad might listen to him."
"Okay," Sam said, still staring at the television. "When are you gonna teach me to ride a bike?"
"As soon as I can get my hands on one," Dean smiled. "How about that?"
"Sounds good," Sam answered. "But Dean, don't steal it."
Dean laughed. "Why would I do that?"
Sam turned to his brother and rolled his eyes. "I'm six, not stupid. I know we don't gots money. And Dad's not gonna buy me a bike because I'm the only kid at school that doesn't have one. I've seen you take stuff from stores and the gas station. Just don't steal a bike for me."
"Yeah," Dean nodded. "Okay."
On Friday, Dean pulled a red bike that was far too big for his little brother in front of their room. It had been sitting in the bike rake in front of the school unclaimed for a few days. He'd waited until it seemed like all the other kids had left for the weekend before jumping on and riding it home, head down as fast as he could so no one would notice. Sam was waiting him back at the hotel since he had taken the bus home.
"Where did you get it?" Sam asked skeptically.
"I borrowed if from a kid at school," Dean answered rolling his eyes.
"Does the kid know you borrowed it?"
"Yes, Dad, I asked him if I could."
"Did he say 'yes'?" Sam said, still eyeing his brother cynically.
"Just get on the damn bike, Sam," Dean sighed. "It's not hot. I didn't steal it. Unless you've changed your mind and you don't want to learn how to ride it."
Sam took a deep breath and let Dean help him climb up onto the bike. If anyone was looking out the window of their motel rooms the day, they'd be in for a show. Those two little boys running around one holding on to the seat of a bike chasing after his brother while the little one screamed for him not to let go as the went around in circles. It was a beautiful thing, the joys of carefree childhood. Dean wondered, running behind him until dusk that day, how many more moments he and Sam would have like this. How long it would be before Sam figured it all out. He was a smart kid, Sammy He would figure it out soon enough. He never stopped asking questions. Dean doubted he ever would. The only thing Dean was happy about in their situation is Dad didn't sit Sammy down and tell him everything over breakfast one more like he did with Dean. If Dean could anything he'd make sure Dad never told Sam the truth, he'd stay this kid right here forever, but Dean didn't have a say in the matter. He never did.
"Don't let go, Dean," Sam warned. "Don't let go until I say it's okay. I don't wanna fall."
"Okay," Dean said, laughing and breathing heavy from all the running. "I won't let go. I won't let you fall."
Anyone watching that day would tell Dean that Sam was never going to learn how to do it if Dean didn't let go. He had to let Sam try it for himself. But Dean would never do that. He'd never let Sammy go, he'd never let him fall, never let him get hurt. They didn't have a helmet, if Sam wasn't ready he'd fall and hit his head on the parking lot. That wouldn't be even a little bit good. His dad would skin him alive if Sam got hurt like that.
As night fell, Dean heard his stomach rumble.
"Sammy, I'm getting hungry, wanna call it a night for now?"
"I guess," Sam sighed. "I think I'm getting the hang of this bike thing," Sam answered. "Can we do it more tomorrow or do you have to give the bike back?"
"We have all weekend," Dean said. "I have to give it back Monday."
"You totally stole it," Sam said as he got off the bike. "Didn't you?"
"Seriously?" Dean laughed. "Asked if I could use it."
"Whose bike is it?"
"A kid in my class," Dean smiled. "You don't know him."
"You don't have any friends, Dean," Sam said seriously. "Not good friends that would let you use their bike for a whole weekend. Where'd you get it?"
"Just drop it, dude," Dean laughed. "Let's get some food."
Sam sighed dramatically.
Dean chuckled to himself; this kid was going to be ridiculous when he got older. He had more attitude than his tiny six year old frame should be able to hold.
"You shouldn't worry so much," Dean said, pulling Sam into a head lock. "Stunt your growth."
"I just don't want you to get in more trouble," Sam explained as they made their way to room thirty five. "I don't like it when Dad yells. And when he yells it's always at you and then you're sad and I don't like it."
"Dad doesn't have to know about the bike, Sammy," Dean sighed. "If you don't tell him, he won't know and it will be like it never happened."
"So you did steal it!" Sam said through gritted teeth. "Really Dean?"
"Shut it," Dean replied. "Just, where else was I gonna get a bike? I mean, honestly, Sam. You wanted to learn how to ride a bike. We can't exactly afford to buy you one. And if we did where would we put it? We don't got room in the car. We can't just get a bike and leave it at Bobby's or Pastor Jim's. We can't rent one. We basically live out of a car. You were freakin' crying about it. I wasn't gonna let you be upset."
Dean opened the door to the room and ushered Sam inside. Sam looked up and his big brother with a scowl on his little face.
"I asked you not to steal it, and you just did whatever you want," Sam said. "You can't just steal things. You're gonna go to jail, Dean. That's where stealers go."
"I'm not going to jail," Dean sighed. "I'm bringing the bike back to where I got it on Monday, just like I said. I'm just borrowing it."
"Without asking," Sam whined.
"Just stop worrying so much about everything," Dean said opening the fridge. "It was on the bike rack all week and no one took it home. I even waited until everyone had gone home for the weekend before I took it. I'll head out early on Monday and put it back. No one will even miss it alright? Do you want the last of the cereal or some spaghetti-o's?"
Sam shrugged and threw himself onto his bed dramatically. "I don't care. Whatever you want. When is Dad coming back?"
"Should be back the day after tomorrow."
"Are we going to leave right away?"
"I don't know, Sam," Dean answered. "We'll find out when he get back. I think we're staying at least a week. I think that's what he said."
"I kinda like this school," Sam mumbled. "I hope we can stay til the end of the year. It's only a couple months. Maybe he'll let us stay."
"You never know," Dean said opening a can of spaghetti-o's. "Maybe we won't find a new job for a while, or he can pick something up in town. It'd be nice to finish up school here, I guess. It's not too bad."
"Will you talk to him?" Sam asked. "See if he'll let us stay."
"Dad doesn't listen to me," Dean answered. "But I'll try. He might, you never know."
"Thanks, Dean," Sam said. "And thanks for teaching me to ride a bike. Even if you stole it."
"No problem kidd-o," Dean smiled taking Sam's dinner out of the microwave. "Now get over here and eat this before it gets cold."