Chapter 31

Sam was in the study talking to a supplier about some engine parts just like he had been since the last fifteen minutes. Adam took a deep breath as he mustered up the courage to go inside and talk to Sam. He had been fidgeting outside the office for past twenty minutes or so just peeking inside and watching Sam working. He knew he should just go inside and apologise for his behaviour and get it all over with but he was really worried. What if Sam refused to talk to him ?. He had been really rude earlier and he had talked badly about DJ too. And Sam had looked really angry , he hadn't seen Sam this angry like ever.

Dean had said that Sam was upset but he would forgive him if he apologise nicely enough and with that thought in mind he raised his fist to knock. But Sam beat him to it.

"I know you are outside , Adam. If you want to come and say something to me , you can." Adam startled at Sam's voice. Seriously , he was a Winchester too so why didn't he inherited any of the ninja techniques that Sam and Dean had. He was pretty sure that he had remained hidden until he was ready to face Sam but apparently somehow still Sam had managed to see him.

Adam took another deep breath and made his way inside. He took comfort from the fact that atleast Sam's voice didn't sound angry. Though his little comfort vanished the moment he looked at Sam. Sam didn't sound angry but he did look grim. Adam swallowed nervously and wiped his hands against his sweatpants.

Sam leaned back in his chair and levelled Adam with a hard stare. He was still angry at the kid but not nearly as much as before. After hearing Adam's painful cries when Dean had spanked him had managed to soften Sam quite a bit. He knew from experience that Dean didn't left any job half done. So his brother had already taken care of Adam's attitude but still that didn't give Adam a free pass from him.

Adam walked further inside the room until he was standing in front of Sam. He winced as the fabric of his sweatpants rubbed unpleasantly against his smarting behind. He peered up at Sam from behind his bangs and began.

"I am really sorry , sir. I didn't mean any of what I said earlier. I was stuck at a pretty hard level in my game and then I couldn't clear it. Th- then Dean took my phone and DJ wanted me to play. I - I don't know why I got so angry. I am so sorry. I love DJ and he is like my little brother. I didn't mean anything . Please..."

Adam stuttered and then trailed off and he was slightly out of breath at the end. He knew he was babbling but he couldn't stop. He gazed at Sam but the man was still looking at him with a stern look on his face. He waited for Sam to say something because except saying 'sorry' again and again. He didn't have anything more to say.

"You're being rude for the last couple of days. And even after several warnings your attitude hasn't changed." Sam sighed almost in disappointment and Adam held back his tears. He would take the look of anger on Sam's face over that look of disappointment on any day. Somehow it was much worse. Sam wasn't spanking him atleast he hoped Sam wouldn't because his rear could not survive another round but nonetheless he was feeling pretty ashamed of himself. The other man had always supported him ever since he came here and look how Adam had repaid that.

"I will talk to DJ once he wakes up from his nap. He won't bother you anymore." Sam finished speaking and he just had a moment to breathe before his arms were full of a crying Adam. Maybe he was a lot angrier at the kid than he realised but a few tears from Adam managed to squish his anger pretty quickly.

He rolled his chair back so that Adam had more room to lean against him. He rubbed the kid's back to calm him down. Adam was saying something but his voice sounded muffled as the kid had his face pressed against Sam's shirt.

"Comeon , kiddo. You are alright. Shhh ..." He was really a bleeding heart. But hey , even Dean couldn't stay mad when Adam got like this.

"Here , take a few small sips." Sam picked up a bottle of water from his desk and opened the cap. He gently tilted Adam's head back and pressed the bottle against the kid's mouth. Once Adam had gulped a few sips down and didn't look like crying anymore he began.

"You know what I always say to you ?".

"I should think first before I speak." Adam thought for a moment then answered looking at his feet. "I promise to remember that."

"Right. And I can see that you have realised your mistake so I'm gonna let you off the hook , " Sam said and Adam threw him a big grin. He also smiled before growing serious once again. "This time." Sam made sure to emphasis on the words before continuing once again. "I'm gonna let you go but remember Adam you're still a kid. No matter how old you think you are but being twelve does not mean you know everything. And next time , no matter whether Dean had already punished you or not. But you will be getting a punishment from me too."

"Yes sir." Adam replied seriously , nodding his head. He was relieved that finally Sam had forgiven him. He sighed against Sam and let the other man wrapped him in a big hug.

"But now that you have forgiven me. You won't say anything to DJ , right ?. Can I still play with him. ?. I mean he needs his big brother to teach him how to play catch and basketball and so many other games. And what about jokes ?. He needs to know soo much. So you won't stop him from playing with me ?. Please." Adam begged looking at Sam with a pleading look.

"If you want to. I mean he's your brother. I'm not gonna come in between you two , you know."

"You're the best , Sam." Adam wrapped his arms around Sam and heard Sam laugh from somewhere atop his head and he grinned in response.

Dean watched the whole exchange between Sam and Adam quietly from outside the door and smiled softly. It was a stressful day in the Winchester household but at the end just like always everything was fine. He straightened back and made his way out to work whistling softly under his breath.

Two days had gone and things were still silent and calm around the Winchester household. DJ was banned from watching tv and Adam in his new found love of brotherhood was supporting the kid fully. The boys neither watched tv nor did they had any dessert. Adam had also switched off his phone and put it inside his dresser. The kid had decided he wouldn't touch it until DJ's punishment was over. To say that Sam and Dean were proud of Adam for supporting DJ like he was would be an understatement.

Dean was also immensely happy to see the kids finally playing some outdoor sports. Though he didn't hunt but he still appreciated the importance of some physical activity. Which was why he trained every morning and went for shooting practice atleast once a month. Well , he used to but work had been kicking his ass pretty hard but still he tried. He couldn't give the kids the physical training he and Sam had received from their dad but he still wished for them to atleast exercise regularly and be in a good shape. So , he was glad to see Adam and DJ finally taking a liking to sports without much prodding from him.

Since DJ wasn't allowed any electronics until three days , the boys had both started playing catch in the mornings. Adam was beginning to learn to be patient with DJ. While DJ was just enjoying playing with Adam.

In the spirit of all this , Sam and Dean had also begun to join the kids in their outdoor sports. In the evenings , Sam had started playing basketball with Adam while Dean had started teaching baseball to DJ. All in all , things were going pretty smoothly.

"Why don't we do something nice for the kids tomorrow , huh ?". Sam asked as he chucked a beer at Dean and plopped besides him. It was around eleven at night. The kids had long gone to bed. And he and Dean were just sitting outside on the porch , watching the night sky and drinking beer. They used to do that a lot when Sam was younger. Not drinking the beer part , obviously but watching the stars. Infact , Dean had been the one to teach Sam all about the various constellations and about how to read the location of starts and moon so he won't ever get lost when he thought he would still be a hunter.

"DJ just completed his punishment and Adam did what a good brother ought to do. They don't deserve any treat if you ask me." Dean took a long swig of his beer and sighed when the cold liquid slid down his throat pleasantly.

Sam scoffed in reply. And when Dean turned to look at him , he shook his head. "Comeon , dude. Don't be a hardass. Let's go watch a movie or something. The kids would love it. They should know that they deserve rewards when they behave just as well as they deserve punishments when they are bad."

"Geez , Sammy. You make it sound like we are talking about a bunch of dogs."

"Shut up." Sam shoved at Dean's shoulder as Dean chuckled.

"Why don't we ask them what they would like to do tomorrow ?. The kids nowadays have a different definition of fun than us , anyway." Dean suggested as he turned to look at Sam.

"Okay. It's a good thing it's weekend too. We don't have to miss work."

"About work." Dean began when Sam looked at him and patted his shoulder. "You did a real good job in making the website , ya know. I'm proud of ya."

Sam opened his mouth but didn't know what to say so he just nodded. And if he was blushing then it was his business and nobody else's. Compliments were not handed lightly by Dean like at all so to hear him say that , had left Sam feeling like a little kid lighting up after receiving presents on Christmas. He had worked dang hard on making the website. So much so that Dean had to threaten him to tie his hands behind his back if he didn't rest but in the end it was all worth it.

Dean , always the one uncomfortable with emotions , cleared his throat before standing up and cracking his back. "I'm gonna hit the sack. I have to work on a car tomorrow in the morning. And if we want to leave the house then I need to finish it early."

"It's Saturday. I thought we didn't work on weekends." Sam said collecting the empty beer bottles and standing up.

"We don't. But it's for a pretty old customer so I accepted. They need it urgent and the money is good." Dean replied as they headed back inside.

"Dean , you know , we can hire somebody if you want. You don't have to do everything on your own." Sam said a bit cautiously as the last time they had this conversation , well just say it ended with a yelling match between him and Dean. Making Dean accept someone's help even when he needed it was more difficult than sneezing with your eyes open. Sam knew Dean could handle everything but he was looking more and more exhausted with each passing day. The work load was increasing and while it meant more profit but it also meant Dean working long hours. Sam didn't have as exhausted job as Dean had. He just needed to balance the accounts and make calls by sitting on his ass all day but Dean had to work long hours in the garage.

And Dean was the man who firmly believed in spending time with family and working. So while he did spent time with them in the evening but he compensated for that by working late nights or early mornings. And Sam didn't like that at all. It wasn't even as if they couldn't afford to hire someone. But Dean still opposed the idea because his moron of a brother thought it made him look weak. According to Dean , if he was good enough to stand on his two feet then he was good enough to work. He didn't need anyone.

"I don't know how to say this again , Sam. But we are not hiring anybody." Dean gritted his teeth in frustration and glared at Sam.

"Then just stop taking so much workload. It's not like we are under the water. A few days back , you were bitching to me about not taking rest. Now you're doing the same , ya know. Hiring a help would relieve some of your pressure. Or maybe if you don't want that. Teach me about cars. I can work with you in the garage."

"I'm fine , Sam. I have worked much harder and in much tougher conditions than this before. I was a hunter , dude. If I can kill some fuglies on a daily basis then I can damn well manage my garage." Dean snapped before he marched back to his room. He barely held a snort when Sam offered to help him in the garage. The kid was as good with cars as a man was looking at the sun without his shades. Yup , exactly his point. Sam didn't know C of cars. And while Dean could teach him but he knew it just won't be worth it. Teaching Sam even the basics had taken him years during which he had to remind himself repeatedly that Sam was his kid brother and he loved him so killing him just because he sucked around cars wasn't a good enough reason to explain to dad why his oldest had strangled his youngest. He didn't have the time nor the patience and energy to deal with Sam around cars.

Sam sighed in defeat but followed his brother to his own room making a quick stop at the kitchen to throw away the empty beer bottles in the garage bag. Why wouldn't Dean let him work in the garage ?. Truthfully , he would say that he had no interest in cars whatsoever but he could learn enough to help out his brother atleast. Hey , it wasn't like he didn't know the basics already. He knew how to change oil and tires and that counted for something alright. Sam shook his head before he went back to his room.

"Daddy !." DJ's loud voice rang throughout the house and if Sam didn't know any better he would have ran towards his son and checked him for any injuries. But as it was , he was used to DJ shouting on top of his lungs whenever the kid was excited.

"I want dessert. My punishment is over. Yayy !". DJ jumped up and down and clapped his hands high in the air. Sam smiled down and ruffled his son's hair before scooping him up. Finally , the three days of grounding that he had punished DJ with was over. The kid was allowed to be excited. It had been a really difficult time for him what with being away from tv and dessert so Sam let DJ be. He put the kid down and laughed as DJ did a weird but adorable monkey dance.

"Alright , monkey." Sam said and DJ giggled , "First , let's have some breakfast. Then you can have any dessert you want. Okay ?".

"Okay. I want chocolate cake." DJ replied just before he ran out of the house. "I gotta call , uncle Dean." He yelled over his shoulder and Sam shook his head. The kid was like a little bundle of energy. Always running or jumping around and still not getting tired.

"Morning , Sam."

Sam turned around and watched as Adam ambled into the kitchen , yawning and rubbing his eyes.

"Morning , bud. Breakfast is about ready. You wanna help me set up the table ?".

"Yeah."

Sam and Adam were just about done when they heard Dean's booming laugh coming from outside the living room. A moment later , they saw Dean entering with DJ perched high on his shoulders.

"Alright , little man. I know you're happy with your grounding being finally over. But you need to control yourself." Dean sat at the dining table and put DJ down on a chair besides him. "Because .. " , he paused for a dramatic effect before continuing once again. "Your daddy and I have a surprise for you boys."

DJ squealed in delight while Adam yelled in excitement , "Really ?".

"We thought after three days of grounding and all. You two would like to do something fun. Like , how about a day out ?." Sam said as they all began eating. Well , all meaning he and Dean. Adam and DJ were still too excited to bother about mundane tasks like eating or for instance even closing their mouths which had fallen open at the mere mention of the word 'surprise'.

"Where are we going ?." Adam asked practically bouncing on his seat. People say that fruit of hardwork was sweet and he was beginning to see why. He had worked his butt off helping DJ with his grounding and now it was time for the sweet sweet reward.

"Can we go to mickey land ?". DJ piped up as he stood on the chair and leaned forward with his arms spread wide on the table. As if doing that was the only way for him to make himself heard. "Can we ? Can we ?. Pleaseee."

Sam rolled his eyes before he pulled DJ back by hooking a finger in the back of the kid's shorts before his son managed to knock his glass of milk.

Dean frowned in confusion and looked at Sam. "Mickey land ?".

"He means Disney land , Dean." Sam clarified but Dean still looked confused. "Dude , you never heard of Disney land ?!". He asked incredulously as Dean shook his head.

"The only Disney I have ever heard of is disney movies and they suck." Dean buttered his toast as he replied and Adam nodded in agreement. Last week because of DJ , Adam and Dean had to watch the freaking 'Frozen' on their weekly movie night. And man , they would have almost hugged and high fived eachother when the movie had finally ended. Only Sam's glare at the end had refrained them.

DJ liked disney princesses just as much as he liked Marvel superheroes. And while Dean and Adam had absolutely no problem in watching the Spiderman or Batman on screen , they hated watching disney princesses. But they still had to for two pretty serious reasons. For one , they loved DJ and for two , Sam had forced them to support him in his mission of raising DJ above the gender stereotypes. Adam had no idea what gender stereotypes even meant and he suspected Dean didn't either , he may have slept with his eyes open when Sam was explaining that. But dude , after almost two hours of enduring Frozen on screen and listening to DJ singing along to 'Let it go' in a totally ear splitting off key manner anyone would have.

"Disney land will take us more than one day to reach , though." Adam said as he finally turned towards his food after Sam pointed at his plate. Huh , he almost forgot about eating.

"I'm sorry , kiddo. But your Disney land will have to wait." Dean said as he turned towards DJ who threw him an adorable pout. "Hey now , don't give me that stinky look." He pulled DJ's cheeks and booped his nose. "I promise next month , we will take a longer vacation and then go."

"Okay." And just like that DJ's grin was back in full force. Little kids sure do have bipolar disorder. No really. You can't guess their moods like at all.

"How about we eat first and then decide ?". Sam suggested waving his arm around at their almost cold breakfast. He was sure if they ate at this pace , they wouldn't be able to leave the dining table much less the house. But he smiled at the excited whispering happening between Adam and DJ nonetheless.

Let's see a day out with the Winchesters in the next chapter.

Thank you for all of you for reading and bearing with my irregular self.

Please review and let me know what y'all think. I'm open to any and all suggestions. :) But be gentle alright.