Coming Home Ch. 18
Disclaimer: See chapter one
Previously: "I know Sweetheart. I was feeling the same way myself, even though I knew there was always the chance that they could react unexpectedly." John informed his wife as he rubbed her back comfortingly. "We just have to give them some time to get used to the situation. I'm sure that they'll have some questions that need answering and we need to be prepared to give them those answers. For now, let's just try to get some sleep. I'm sure it's going to be a long night.
John's fears were confirmed just an hour or so later when he and Mary heard the sound of terrified screaming coming from the boys' room just down the hall.
"Sammy," Mary and John both gasped at the same time, each becoming fully alert, as they thrust themselves up from the bed in an effort to get to their youngest as quickly as possible. Pulling open the bedroom door, John made his way out into the hallway and was at Dean and Sammy's door in five long strides.
Flinging open the door, John lunged into the boys' room, unintentionally scaring his youngest even more, as he immediately scanned the room for any signs of danger, ready to defend his boys to the death if necessary. Finding nothing, he turned his attention to the boys where he saw Mary now sitting on the edge of the bed and rubbing Sammy's back as Dean held the little one cradled to his chest while he whispered words of comfort.
"Dean, what happened, is he okay?" John queried as he walked over to stand by his wife's side.
"He had a nightmare. It's nothing I can't handle, so the two of you can go back to bed," Dean informed his parents as he glared at them for having burst in the room and scaring his baby brother even more than he already was. "And it's David."
Sure, he knew his real name was Dean now, but it had been drummed into his head for so long about how badly he or his sibling would be beaten if they dared even thinking about using the names of Dean and Sammy or saying them aloud again. He still remembered with vivid clarity how Norman had busted his nose and blackened both eyes when he had challenged him in a moment of anger, arguing that his name would always be Dean and not David.
"Honey, if that's the name you want us to use, then we will. But I think maybe you should try using your birth name for a while. You might find you like it more," Mary voiced hopefully as she reached out to palm her eldest son's cheek, trying not to sigh aloud as he turned his head away from her.
"Bu-But Norman hurted De' re-really b-bad last time he tried to use the name Dean," Sammy hiccoughed between sobs as he tried to pull himself together. He didn't want his big brother to get into trouble.
"I should have killed that sorry sonuvabitch when I had my hands on him," John swore under his breath as he fought to control his emotions. His boys didn't need to be any more terrified than they already were.
''Well, you don't have to worry about that happening anymore because that bas…man is in jail now and he will NEVER hurt the two of you ever again," Mary stated believingly as she reached out to brush aside the hair that had fallen in front of Sammy's eyes.
"Yo-you promise?" Sammy asked as he looked up hopefully at the two adults.
"As much as I can promise anything," John avowed with a forced smile. He hated that the boys would be compelled to sit down and talk about their life with Norman with Officer Labinski sometime in the near future, but it had to be done if they were going to put that barbarian Norman behind bars for the rest of his life. "There will be a time when you and Dean, I mean David, will have to talk to the cops again, but your Mom and I will be right there beside you."
"I gu…I guess it's alright if you call me Dean," Dean finally acquiesced, though a little uncomfortably. If they were going to get over what happened to them in the past, then they needed to try and start anew, even if that meant getting used to new names.
"Dean it is," Mary announced with the brightest smile that her husband had seen in years.
"Can-Can I ask you a question?" Dean inquired a little skittishly after a couple moments of uncomfortable silence.
"Sure Champ, what is it?" John asked he too sat down on the edge of the boys' bed. He didn't want the boys feeling as though he were looking down on them.
"How are we supposed to act now that we really are your children? I mean, what's expected of us? " Dean asked.
"I don't understand what you mean," John admitted as he tried to gauge what point Dean was trying to make.
"I just want to know what we can and can't do? I mean, are you going to backhand us in the mouth and bloody our lips if we disagree with you or get too loud? Are you going to lock Sammy in the closet when he cries because he doesn't feel well?" Dean asked shakily. "Things like that."
Thrusting a palm over her mouth to keep from crying out, Mary looked to John to answer the question.
"First of all Bud, I want you to know that neither Mary nor I will ever hit you in anger. You won't be backhanded across the mouth, or hit anywhere else, for getting loud or voicing an opinion. If you have something you think is important to say, then we want to hear it," John replied as he placed a hand on Dean's knee and gave it a squeeze. "As for the closet, I will take all the locks and door handles off of them right now if you want me to."
"That's right," Mary agreed as she finally pulled herself together. "Boys are supposed to get loud when they play. And when anyone is sick in this house, they get taken care of with the best motherly attention I can give them.
"What's that mean?" Sammy asked inquisitively. He never really remembered having a mom to take care of him.
"It means that I will hug and cuddle you. It means that I will cook you a pot of my best tomato rice soup to make you feel better, and then I will rock you in my arms and sing to you until you are feeling much better," Mary answered succinctly.
"What about when we're bad and need to be punished?" Dean asked, needing an answer. "Will you pull down our jeans and boxers and beat us with a belt 'til we can't sit down for days?"
"Most definitely not," John answered as calmly as possible, clenching his fists as he tried to curtail his anger, wondering just what other kinds of abuse his boys had been forced to suffer through with Norman. "In this house, time out is used as punishment. If we feel that you've done something you need to be punished for, then you will be required to stand in a corner for a certain amount of time, basically one minute for each year of your age or we might take away TV time or something like that. You won't be physically punished in any way."
"Is there anything else you want or need an answer to?" Mary asked as she reached out to card her fingers through Dean's hair. She was willing to answer her son's questions all night long if that was what it took to make him feel secure.
"No. Right now, I just want….," Dean started to voice before his face turned a crimson red as his stomach rumbled very loudly.
"Oh mercy, look at the time. I should have cooked dinner long ago," Mary gasped as she looked at her watch. It was nearing 9:00 at night and the boys hadn't eaten anything since the pizza they consumed at the mall.
"S'okay, we can just eat a peanut butter sandwich if that's okay," Dean stated as he looked to Sammy for conformation, receiving a nod from his baby brother in return.
"How about I make some of my super sub sandwiches instead," John offered as an alternative. They would be filling and the boys wouldn't go hungry through the night.
"What's a super sub sam'wich," Sam asked as he pushed himself up from Dean's chest where he had been resting the whole time.
"Well, it's a sandwich that is made with a roll and it has ham, salami, turkey, lettuce, and lots of other good stuff," John informed his youngest as he hoisted Sam into his arms. Sure, the kid was nearing seven years old, but he had missed out on holding him for so much of his life that he just couldn't resist doing it now.
"I ain't never had a sam'wich like that," Sammy informed his father as he relaxed into John's hold. "What if I don't like it, do I hafta eat it anyways?"
"No way Kiddo" John answered as he ruffled his youngest chestnut colored hair. "We'll just make you something that you do like to eat instead."
"Cool", Sammy responded with a sigh of relief. It was nice to know that maybe he would never have to eat spinach again.
"Well then, let's go eat. I'm starving myself," John said, as he started towards the door, before turning to look back at his eldest. "You coming Champ?"
"Yes Sir," Dean replied as he climbed out of the bed and followed behind his father with Mary bringing up the rear.
"What a beautiful sight," Mary thought to herself as she relished in watching her three men walking out of the room, a sight she wouldn't trade for all of the money in the world. Following her small family down the stairway, Mary watched as John sat Sammy down at the table and then walked over to the fridge to get the meat for the sandwiches.
"Hey Dean, how about grabbing some rolls from the bread box for me," John called out as he gathered the meat, cheese slices, lettuce tomatoes, and mayonnaise they would need.
Walking over to the old time looking wooden breadbox on the counter in the far corner, Dean did as instructed and asked, "Is there anything else you need me to get, John?"
"Yeah, we'll also need a butter knife from the silverware drawer," John answered, trying to not to show his disappointment at being referred to by his given name. He knew it would take time and earned trust before Dean would start calling him Dad.
Strolling back to the table after getting the aforementioned knife, Dean couldn't help but wonder if allowing John and Mary into their hearts would leave him and Sammy shattered once again. Was he making a huge mistake in allowing Sammy to become close to these people who could eventually hurt them again in the long run? Only time would tell.
TBC
