A/N: Hello again dear readers and welcome to another short story. This is a weechester one with Sam ten and Dean fourteen. No monster involved but we do have an incident happen that will have to be solved. Thank you for coming on this journey with me. I do like reviews/comments. NC
Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of SPN, and this is my own creation. Any errors are my own.
Chapter 1
A summer thunderstorm was brewing on the horizon as grey clouds moved across the blue sky blocking out the sun's strong rays. The air felt heavy and seemed to weigh a person down. The land was parched by the summer heat and needed the expected moisture to bring life back to it.
John Winchester was battling with his oldest son as he gathered his things to leave the salvage yard. He had contacted Bobby Singer, the owner and fellow hunter, to see if his sons could stay with him while he took a hunt.
"Dean, you can't come with me," John stated firmly.
"Why Dad? I can be your backup and Sammy can stay here with Bobby. I'm old enough to hunt," Dean argued back.
"You need to stay here and look out for Sammy. It's your job to keep him safe."
"He is safe. Bobby has this place warded and protected."
"You're not coming and that's final. I don't want to hear anything else about it," John barked at his eldest son.
Dean glared at his father as he pinched his lips into a tight, thin line. He knew that tone and knew there was nothing he could say that was going to change his Dad's mind. He was going to be stuck here with his pain in the ass brother until John came back for them. Dean watched him zip his bag and shoulder it as he stood tall and looked at his son knowing he was pissed.
"I need to tell Sammy goodbye." John left the bedroom and trooped down the steps hearing Dean coming down behind him. He looked in the living room and found Sammy on the couch reading a book. He looked toward the office door to see Bobby step out. "Sammy, I'm heading out, you mind Bobby and your brother."
"Yes sir," Sammy replied laying the book aside and standing. "When are you coming back?"
"I don't know, a few days, maybe a week. Depends on how long it takes me to check this out."
"Be careful," Sammy mumbled as he wrapped his father in a hug.
"I will. You be good," John told him, ruffling his hair as he smiled down at him. "Bobby, thanks for doing this."
"It's better than the alternative John. Those boys don't need to be left alone in some random motel again. You've been lucky so far that nothing has happened to them, but that luck could run out."
"I need to do what I need to do. Here," John offered holding out some folded bills. "I think the boys need new shoes; could you take care of that for me and use the rest for food."
"I'll see what I can do," Bobby huffed thinking John needed to see to his boys better. He was too obsessed with finding what killed his wife nearly ten years ago and neglecting his sons. "Will you at least call them?"
"If I can. I'm not sure if the lead will pan out, but I need to check it anyway," John replied. He had gotten word on some demon activity in Texas and was going there. If it had been anything else, he would have taken his boys with him, but not when demons were involved. "Goodbye boys, you behave and mind Bobby."
"Bye Dad," Sam answered giving a small wave.
He looked at Dean who had a sour look on his face but didn't reply. He knew his oldest didn't like being left behind like this, but he would get over it. John nodded to Bobby and headed out the front door to the Impala to begin his trip to Texas.
Bobby looked toward the window when he heard rumbles of thunder in the distance that seemed to be getting closer. He could tell it was getting darker outside as the storm clouds rolled in. He had seen the weather forecast and knew they could be in for a bad storm.
"Looks like the storm will be here soon boys," Bobby commented looking to the brothers for a moment. "Better be sure the flashlights work in case we lose power." He ambled toward the kitchen to find them and be sure they didn't need new batteries.
"Dean, want to play something?" Sammy asked his brother.
"No," Dean grumbled in a sulky voice as he dropped into a chair by the couch to pout. He was stubborn just like his father; it seemed to run in the family.
"Okay," Sam replied softly. He sat back on the couch and picked his book up to begin reading again, but cringed when a streak of lightning struck nearby, followed by a loud clap of thunder. He looked in fear toward his brother and scooted down the couch to be closer to him.
Dean slouched in the chair not affected by the impending storm as it drew closer. He was mulling over being left behind and wondered if he could sneak away and join his Dad but knew that wasn't going to happen. He didn't know where he was going in Texas, and he didn't have enough money to get there by bus. Besides that, he had to take care of Sammy, that was his job.
Sam almost dropped his book when another round of lightning and thunder echoed around the old house. He shivered and craned his neck to stare out the window. It wasn't like he was afraid of a thunderstorm, he just didn't like all the loud noises associated with it.
"It's okay Sammy," Dean grunted as he got up and dropped down beside him on the couch. "What ya reading?" he asked trying to get Sammy's mind off the storm.
"It's King Arthur and Knights of the Round Table," Sammy replied showing him the front of the book. "I think you would like it."
"Yeah, maybe."
"Dean, is Dad going to be okay?" Sam asked cautiously. He only recently learned about what their Dad did and about the supernatural. Dean had kept it from him all those years until he read his father's journal one Christmas Eve. That completely changed his life, and he now understood all the times that their father came back bloody and hurt. Sam had watched Dean patch John up, even stitching his wounds but never questioned it.
Dean glanced sideways at Sam and could see the concern and worry on his face. He wondered if he should lie to him or just bend the truth enough that he wouldn't worry.
"Don't lie to me Dean. I'm not a kid," Sam insisted like he knew what Dean was thinking.
"Dad's careful Sammy," Dean finally replied. "Don't worry about it."
Sam slid closer to Dean and showed him a couple of pictures from his book. They looked toward the window when pounding rain began to hit the house and glass like someone was throwing rocks at it.
"Here you go boys," Bobby told them sitting a flashlight down on an end table. "I'll be in my office doing some research. You know where the food is if you want a snack."
"Okay," Dean answered as he tried to reign in his anger toward his father and not take it out on Bobby. He knew he was only helping, and it was nicer to be here than in some dump of a motel not knowing where their next meal would be coming from or if someone was going to break in and try to hurt them.
But the worse fear was CPS (Child Protective Services) might be called and they would be put in the system and taken away from John. Dean knew he would grab Sammy and disappear before he'd let that happen. He might only be fourteen, but he already knew more about life than most people who were already considered adults. He knew how to cover his tracks and fade into the background and become invisible.
spn
It had rained for three days straight, and Dean was happy to see the sunshine on the fourth day. He wanted to get out of the house and away from his annoying little brother. Sammy was getting on his last nerve, and he was tired of trying to entertain him and didn't want to play stupid games with him anymore.
Everywhere he went Sammy was tagging along behind him asking dumb questions or wanting to do whatever he was doing. Even Bobby was noticing how snippy and short-tempered Dean was becoming and tried to steer Sammy away from Dean but wasn't having much luck. The older sibling just wanted a little time to himself, just some privacy for a short time.
"Bobby, I'm going out to the garage to start cleaning it," Dean told him when he came down that morning. "Maybe I can help you on any cars that need fixing."
"Alright son, where's your shadow?"
"Taking a shower," Dean grunted in disgust. "Don't tell him where I'm at, okay?"
"Dean, that's just mean and not the way you should treat your brother."
"I only want a little time to myself, is that too much to ask?" Dean asked with a huff. "He's becoming a pain in the ass…"
"Language boy, no need to be disrespectful. You know he idolizes you."
"Well, he doesn't understand personal space. And I need to have a little me time."
"I'll see what I can do," Bobby sighed as Dean grabbed an empty water bottle to fill from the container in the fridge and a power bar from the cabinet before heading from the kitchen but paused in the doorway and looked back at Bobby.
"Bobby, have you heard from Dad?"
"No son, but I'll let you know when I do." Bobby knew Dean was worried about John, but he wasn't going to say anything.
"Okay." Dean continued for the front door and walked down the steps to head for the garage. He drew in some deep breaths thinking the air smelled clean after the rain. He dodged the puddles that were scattered down the driveway until he reached the garage door and let himself in.
Dean raised the rollup door to let fresh air and light in so he could see. Bobby had offered to pay him if he helped in the garage, but he would have done it without being paid. He liked helping Bobby since he taught him about cars. Dean grabbed a push broom and started sweeping the floors.
spn
"Hey Bobby," Sam greeted him when he walked into the kitchen. "Where's Dean?" he questioned looking around for him.
"He's around somewhere, how about some breakfast?" Bobby suggested hoping to give Dean a little peace for a short time.
"Okay, should I go find Dean and let him know?"
"Naw, he'll come back when he's hungry. How about some scrambled eggs and toast?"
"Okay, can I have chocolate milk to drink?"
"Don't see why not."
"Has Dad called yet?"
"No, not yet, but don't be fretting none, sometimes you can't get distracted when checking out a case. I'm sure he'll be calling any day now."
Sammy got out the milk and poured a glass for his breakfast. He accepted the chocolate syrup from Bobby and squirted some into it, stirring it, making the milk turn brown. It didn't take Bobby long to fix some breakfast for him and put the plate on the table in front of Sammy.
"Thanks Bobby," Sam said.
"That's my phone, eat up young man." Bobby strolled toward his office to see who was calling. A few minutes later he came back through and stopped to speak with Sammy. "I've got a couple of things to do in the outbuildings and then I'll be in the garage."
"Okay." Sam ate his food and finished his milk. He put the dishes in the sink and went in search of his brother. He knew he wasn't in the house and the only other place Sammy could think that he would be was in the garage. He knew how Dean liked to help Bobby with cars. He headed outside and walked down to the garage, seeing the bay door was open. "Dean," Sam called. "Are you in here?"
"What?" Dean growled in an annoyed voice.
"What are you doing? Can I help? Will you play with me when you are done? Could we go for a hike in the woods and maybe go to the river? How about it?"
"Why don't you go do something inside like read your book or watch tv? Or go get some fresh air on the other side of the yard. You don't have to hang with me all the time."
"I want to help you," Sammy whined looking around for another broom.
"I don't need your help. Go do something anywhere else but here. You're acting like a brat and maybe I don't want to do childish things with you. I am a teenager after all. Maybe I don't want to hang out with a kid all the time."
"I bet I'm going to be bigger than you when I get older," Sam snapped back at him.
"In your dreams," Dean scoffed. "Now get lost and let me have a little peace."
"Why can't I stay in here with you?"
"Because I don't want you here!" Dean yelled at him. "Just leave me alone!" he snarled at Sammy turning his back on him.
Sammy looked at Dean in shock as he stepped back from him. He couldn't believe Dean yelled at him. Tears filled his eyes as he turned and ran from the garage and instead of going inside headed for the backyard. He wiped his face on his arm and sniffed softly, feeling hurt by Dean's stinging words. Sammy wandered down the rows of crushed vehicles to the road where the storage buildings were thinking he would find Bobby back there.
After stepping out onto the road, Sammy looked both ways not seeing Bobby anywhere. He headed toward the nearest building but saw it was locked. The next one had the door ajar, so he pushed it open and stepped inside.
"Bobby are you in here?" he called looking around. Sam let the door swing open to let more light into the building. He stepped into the room to look around being a curious kid. The shelves closest to the door had plastic tubs with what looked like clothes, papers, household items, and other random things. He was curious about everything and saw funny boxes stacked on several shelves lining one wall. He had never seen anything like them and went to see what they were. Some had locks on them, but they all had strange drawings on the outside of the boxes that he was sure were sigils. He picked up one of the smaller boxes and turned it over in his hands studying it wondering what was locked inside. Sammy sat the box back down and picked up one that didn't have a lock on it.
Being an inquisitive kid, he couldn't stop himself from opening the box to look inside. Sam was still mad at his brother and mumbled to himself as he picked the object up from the box. "I wish I was bigger and stronger than Dean so he couldn't boss me around, that would show him," he whispered as he clutched the amulet tightly in his hand not realizing what he had just done. Sammy suddenly felt like he was falling as a darkness surrounded him and his unconscious body fell to the floor in a heap.
