Coming Home Ch. 9
Disclaimer: See chapter one
Previously: "Oh my god, Sammy! Are you okay?" Mary gasped as she noted the bloody palms and tear filled eyes of her youngest.
"Wh-what did you just call him?" David inquired as he grabbed Joey and pulled him back away from the concerned couple who shouldn't have known what he called Joey in secret. Had these people been spying on them all along? Did they have some alternative reason for wanting them around?
"David, it's okay son, you need to calm down," John quickly interjected, hands thrown up in a placating manner, as he took in the 'flight response' evident in the boy's green eyes.
"Don't tell me to calm down. I want to know what you people are up to," David retorted angrily as he took a few more steps back, while pulling his sibling with him.
"David, I can explain if you'll just let me honey," Mary pleaded, as tears began to roll down her cheeks at the thought of losing her boys. She couldn't survive losing them again.
"No, I'm tired of people lying to us and hurting us. Why didn't you just leave us with Ms. Whitworth where we knew we were safe and we were happy?" David bemoaned as he wrapped an arm around Joey and pulled him extra close.
"De', it's alright, it's not Mary's fault I fell and got hurt," Joey voiced in confusion, as he wiped away the tears with the back of his stinging palm. He couldn't understand why his big brother was blaming Mary for what happened and why he wanted to go back to the group home. Sure, he wanted to see Ms. Amelia again also, but he was kind of getting used to the idea of having a home with the Winchesters, even if he was still scared of them. At least they didn't hurt him the way Norman did. Well, at least not yet anyway.
"I know that Kiddo, It's just...I don't trust them," David stated, not exactly sure how to explain things to his younger sibling so that the seven year old would understand his fears.
"David, I know we haven't given you very many reasons to trust us yet, but I swear on my life that we would never knowingly hurt you," John intonated softly, not wanting to scare David any more than they already had. "And I can promise you there is a very good explanation for what just happened if you will let us explain."
"Why should I?" David argued as he looked at the two people standing before them.
"Because if you don't, you'll always wonder whether or not you did the right thing, especially for Joey," John alleged, hoping to sway the eleven year old, knowing that David had his brother's best interest at heart. Sure, he knew that he wasn't playing fair by using Joey, but if these were truly their kids, then he couldn't chance losing them again forever!
Chewing on his bottom lip as he scrutinized the look on John's face, David could see the sincerity in the man's eyes and wondered if maybe there was something he didn't know, maybe they really did have a good reason for calling his baby brother Sammy. But could he let his guard down long enough to listen? Could he chance having both his and his brother's hearts broken all over again?
"Okay, I'll listen, but not here. This is supposed to be a day of fun and that's what I want more than anything for my little brother. We can talk about it later when we get back hom…back to your place," David acquiesced as he tugged Joey even closer to his side. If things went bad there, at least there he and Joey could catch a bus back to the group home if they needed to make a quick escape.
"Agreed, John assented with a deep sigh of relief. At least that would give both him and Mary some time to think about what they wanted to say and how to say it. Turning his attention to the smallest one in their group, he said, "You still want to see those owls, Tiger?"
Looking to David for permission, Joey smiled when David nodded his head in agreement and softly said, "Yes Sir, I would like that very much."
"Sounds wonderful to me," Mary interjected as she reached inside her purse for some antibiotic wipes, "But first let me clean up the scrapes on Joey's hands and knees. I don't want them to become infected later."
"I…I'm o-okay," Joey stuttered anxiously, as he moved to hide behind his brother. The last time he had gotten hurt, Norman made him sit still while he poured some kind of medicine on it that stung really bad and made him cry. Of course, that made Norman mad and it hurt even more when the mean brute slapped him across the face and told him to quit acting like a damn baby.
"Aww Sweetie, please let me help. I promise I won't hurt you," Mary prodded gently with a smile. More than anything, she wanted to make everything better for her youngest.
"No, I'll do it," David asserted emphatically as he held out is hand for the wipes. He'd taken care of his brother for as long as he could remember and he didn't need anyone's help to do it now.
Knowing that some battles were better left not fought, Mary handed over the wipes to the protective pre-teen. She definitely didn't want Dean any more upset than he already was with them if they had any hopes of getting through to him later when they finally revealed everything.
Nodding his thanks, David took the wipes and then proceeded to wipe off the blood and clean out the scrapes with the utmost care, making sure not to hurt his younger brother any more than was necessary to get the job done.
~~Supernatural~~
Sitting in the back seat of the Impala as they made their way home, David couldn't help but be nervous about the upcoming hours. He could feel in his heart that these next few hours would have a major impact on him and his baby brother, but what that impact would be remained to be seen. He was so tired of seeing the hopelessness in his brother's eyes over the last few years and just wanted the kid to be truly happy again. Sure they had a good few days with the Winchesters, even laughing and playing, but the smiles Joey exhibited never really reached his eyes. It was as if his younger sibling was waiting for the hurt he knew would surely come.
Carding his fingers through the wavy chestnut colored curls of his exhausted brother who was leaning against him nearly asleep, David tried to remember the last time he had seen his brother truly happy, but it was so long ago that all he could remember was that they were in a big shopping place with lots of stores and that they were with a lady who had blonde hair. He could also remember a big water fountain which had spouts that shot out different colors of water and the place also had a musical carousel that had horses that moved up and down as the carousel went round and round.
Smiling as he thought about the carousel, he could remember the way his brother's eyes twinkled with merriment as the brown and white colored horse he rode on moved up and down while the blonde lady held onto his waist to keep him from falling off. Sighing as he thought about the lady, he wished he could remember her better, but he had been too focused on his brother… who couldn't have been much more than two at the time… and could only remember the color of her hair.
Suddenly feeling as though he were being watched, David gazed up to see John watching him through the review mirror. "Something you want?" he growled quietly as he felt Joey slump fully against him in sleep.
"No Son, it was just good to see you smiling so brightly there for a minute," John answered with a sigh, wishing that Dean, no, he had to think of him as David for now, didn't feel so defensive when it came to him and Mary.
"Whatever," David grumbled in reply as he turned away from John and looked out the window to see the lush green scenery passing by in a blur. Once again he could feel the tension mounting as they drew nearer to their destination of the Winchester home and could only hope his worries were for naught and that he'd made the right decision for him and Joey by agreeing to listen to what the Winchesters had to say.
~~Supernatural~~
Waking his baby brother when they arrived back at the house, David tried not to let his nervousness show as he helped Joey out of the car and then lead his younger sibling towards the house. Joey was already skittish enough after having once again picked up on the tension between him and the Winchesters and he didn't like it one bit. He could tell by the way the kid was dragging his feet that Joey was starting to become slightly alarmed.
"Hey Kiddo, relax. Everything is okay," he stated with a feigned air of confidence that he really didn't feel.
"Then why are you acting funny?" Joey asked with soulful eyes as he looked up at his big brother.
"I'm not acting funny, I'm just tired is all," David retorted as they strode towards the house, John and Mary following behind them. There was no need for him to express his worries when everything would come out soon enough.
"If you say so," Joey replied walking along, gasping a little at the pain in his sore knees. They had become stiff on the ride home and it hurt to move them.
"Here Son, let me help you," John voiced as he quickly approached and wrapped an arm around Joey's waist and swung him up onto his side. He had noticed how tenderly the kid was walking and wanted to do something to take away his son's pain. "Mary can give you some children's Tylenol for the pain when we get inside.
'Son?' Why did John just use the word son again?' David wondered, noticing how tenderly John carried his sibling up the stairs and into the house. He had used it in the car when talking to him, and just used it again when referring to Joey.
Following them inside, David watched as John gently sat his brother down on the sofa and then sat down beside him as Mary walked down the hallway towards the bathroom to retrieve the Children's Tylenol from the medicine cabinet there.
Sitting quietly as Mary returned and gave Joey the pain relieving medicine; he waited for the two adults to sit opposite of them and then said, "So…what is it that you wanted to tell us?"
TBC…Still interested after such a long wait?
I am so sorry you had to wait for so long with this chapter. But with two deaths in the family and my brother being rushed to ICU in a relatively short amount of time, I just didn't have the heart or the time to write. Let me know if you want me to continue.
