Coming Home Ch. 20

Disclaimer: See chapter one

Previously: "I honestly don't know, that will be up to the judge. But I'll do my best to make sure if he does have to testify, that it is in the privacy of the judge's chambers," Officer Labinski stated as reached out to shake John's hand. "Thank you for your time."

Escorting the officer out the door, John could only hope that this would be more smooth sailing from here on out. His family couldn't take much more trauma.

Watching for just a moment as the police officer drove away, John leaned against the door and shuddered at the thought of everything his boys had been through. Yes, he knew they had been abused, but he had never dreamt it would be so bad. It nearly killed him to know that his boys had been switched by that bastard. He could remember the one and only time he had been switched by his own father when the old man had caught him and some friends trying marijuana for the first time and he wouldn't have wished that on anyone. He could still vividly remember the pain he felt as his father laid those few stripes on his boxer clad behind.

Taking a few deep breaths, he did his best to put on a calm façade. He wasn't sure how things would go once he walked through that door again, but if his boys needed to talk; then he was damn sure going to listen and give them whatever it was they needed to feel safe and loved.

Pushing open the door, he walked into the living room and was not surprised to see Mary kneeling by the boys and carding her fingers through Sammy's hair as Dean rocked the still softly crying youngster on his lap. The questioning had been extremely hard on Sammy even though he hadn't answered any questions since it brought up memories that John was sure Sammy would have rather left behind.

"Ya know, I had almost managed to lock away everything that bastard did to us away in the back of my mind," Dean whispered in a hoarse voice as a lone tear traveled down his face as he looked up at the man he now knew was his real father. "I don't know if I can go through revealing it all again to a judge."

"I'm so sorry those memories had to be dredged up for you again baby," Mary voiced softly as she placed a comforting hand on Dean's knee. "And how I wish I could promise you that you won't have to do it again, but I won't make a promise I don't know if I can keep. But I can promise you this son…I can promise you that your father and I will be there for you boys every step of the way."

"Yeah, well, we've been made promises before, so…" Dean drifted off, not wanting to hurt the woman who was doing her best to comfort both him and Sammy.

"Dean, I can't even begin to imagine how hard that was for you to tell Officer Labinski what happened, but I want you to know that we're here for you, both you and Sammy, whenever you need to talk," John informed his eldest as he too, kneeled down on the floor beside his young ones. He wanted so much to just take their pain away, but it was something that would only disappear over time as Dean and Sammy learned to full trust in them.

"I'm sorry, I don't think… I just can't …" Dean began, the anxiety level starting to build once again at possibly being forced to rehash everything again so soon.

"That's fine Champ. You don't have to say anything," John interrupted quickly to quell his son's building apprehension. "We're not here to push you into talking if you're not ready. I just want you to know that if you ever do need to talk, that we're here for you. You AND Sammy."

"Th-Thanks."

"You don't have to thank us Sport," John apprised the pre-teen. "That's what parents are for. Now why don't you and Sammy go on up to your room and try to get some sleep. "You look exhausted."

"Yes Sir," Dean replied gratefully as he stood up with Sammy held tightly in his arms. He was extremely tired after such a taxing interview with the police officer and wanted nothing more than to lie down and rest for a little while.

Watching the boys until they had rounded the corner and the sound of a door could be heard closing," Mary finally allowed herself to breakdown and.

"Oh my God, I can't believe everything that monster put our poor babies through, John," she cried as she took comfort in the strong, sinewy arms that wrapped around her upper torso. "How could he be so unmerciful to them?"

"I don't know Honey, but I am thankful for one thing," John answered as he cradled the nape of his young wife's neck as she leaned against him.

"Wh-What?" Mary gasped as she looked up with astonished eyes. "How could you be grateful to that bastard for..."

"I'm grateful that he didn't sexually abuse our boys," John cut in, tensing as he felt the anger begin to build in his wife. "I don't think they would have ever come back from that if he had…" John shuddered, not willing to voice anything more.

"I guess if there is anything to be grateful for with this situation, that would be it," Mary agreed with a sniffle as she snuggled into her husband's embrace. "I mean other than getting our boys back of course."

"Don't worry Baby, I know what you meant with your words," John informed his wife as he held her tight. Getting their boys back was the greatest gift they could have ever be given and he would be thanking God for them each and every day for the rest of his life.

"So how do we get them through this? How do we get our boys back?" Mary asked a few moments later. Sure, they had their boys back in body, but not in spirit. They had been so fun loving and happy before they were taken and now they were so solemn that it nearly broke her heart at times.

"We do just like I told Dean. We be there for them whenever they need us, whether it is next week, or ten years down the road. We show them in every way that we can that they are safe and loved. And if it means going through a ton of 'ups' and 'downs,' then that's what we'll do," John answered, hoping that his words would ease his wife's worries.

"Do you really think that will be enough?" Mary questioned as she allowed herself to be led over to the couch by her husband where they sat down side by side.

"It has to be," John stated with a sigh as he lean back against the couch and closed his eyes. He just didn't know what else they could do.

~~Supernatural~~

Hiding in the small closet behind a pile of blankets, David kept his hand over Joey's mouth to keep him from crying out as the sounds of Norman's footsteps could be heard entering their small bedroom.

"Where are you, you little bastards?" Norman called out as he reached down and flipped the small bed over in the room as he looked for the two miscreants he wished he had never laid eyes on. "You know I'm going to find you so you might as well come out now and take the whippings you know you damned well deserve."

Wrapping his free arm around the trembling four year old beside him, David tried to calm his baby brother knowing just how scared the little boy was. Joey hadn't meant to knock over the nearly empty bottle of beer that Norman had sat on the edge of the coffee table. He had stumbled over the man's boots that had been haphazardly tossed their way when Norman pulled them off. Whether or not it was intentional, David didn't know.

"You know you are really pissing me off so you better come out right now or the beating is going to be so much worse," Norman growled as he ripped the lamp cord from the wall socket. It would keep him from having to go find his belt.

"Shhh," David whispered in Joey's ear as lowly as possible knowing the little one was truly about to lose it. Joey was completely terrified of Norman even on the man's good days, but now, now the kid was petrified beyond belief.

I swear, when I find the two of you, you won't sit down for a month," Norman avowed as he glanced about the room, his eyes falling on the closet door which was slightly opened.

Stomping over to the door, he snatched it nearly off his hinges and immediately noticed the child sized lumps beneath the blankets.

"Found you, you little delinquents," Norman announced as he reached down and pulled off the blanket that covered the two terrified youngsters.

Jerking Joey from David's grasp, Norman prepared to do as promised and swung the lamp cord back to deliver the first blow.

"NOOOO," Dean screamed, suddenly jolting awake from the nightmare, his body covered in sweat as panic firmly took hold of his young mind.

~Supernatural~~

Nearly about to succumb to sleep as the lay together on the sofa, John and Mary were startled away by the sound of their oldest child crying out in terror. "Dean," both adults gasped as they flung themselves up and started running for the stairs.

Making it up the steps in three long strides, John rounded the corner and through open the door to find both boys clinging to each other as if their lives depended on it.

"Dean, Sammy? What happened? Are you boys okay?" John questioned anxiously, as he walked over and sat down on the bed beside the two clearly terrified youngsters.

"No, we're not okay at all," Dean finally admitted as he watched his mother enter the room also. He was tired of having to be the strong one and just wanted someone to make it all go away. He didn't want to dream about that bastard anymore or remember the hurt that Norman had put them through.

"Then please, let us help," Mary pleaded as she sat down on the other side of the bed and rubbed her oldest son's back in a circular motion with her palm. "You boys have shouldered the burden of what happened to you by yourselves for so long. Let us help carry some of the load."

"O..O…Okay," Dean agreed, tears flowing down his face as he finally let go and threw himself into his Father's open arms while Sammy crawled into their mother's lap and clung onto her tightly. Maybe, just maybe, they could finally be happy again.

TBC Still interested (even though it took so long to update this chapter?)

Author's Note: Please accept this as a blanket thank you for the reviews of my last chapter. I had family down helping me celebrate a milestone birthday and had a busy few weeks. I'll try not to make you wait so long again.