Fic: "Week at Bobby's" 1/2
Title: Week at Bobby's
Rating: K+
Characters: Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Bobby Singer, John Winchester
Word count: ~12400
Summary: A story about the second time the Winchester brothers stayed at Bobby's place. Dean is 8, Sam is 3. (Kind of a sequel to my story " My Boys" but can easily be read as a stand-alone story.)
Chapter 1
Bobby Singer whistled as he made one of the two beds in his guestroom - a room rarely used in the old house in Sioux Falls. When Bobby had been a kid, the guestroom had been his room but after he took over the house after his parents' deaths, the salvage yard owner had moved into the big bedroom and his room had been degraded to guestroom. Throughout the years, the guestroom had been nothing but a storage room for the two spare beds, since Bobby only had guests on rare occasions and never anyone who spent the night there anyway. But the fate of the guestroom was about to change because Bobby expected two very special guests this day.
John Winchester had called the older hunter a couple of days previously - a call Bobby secretly had been waiting for, for the past six months. John had a demanding hunt to take care of and he had needed someone to look after his boys while doing so.
"You think you might.. I mean, they've stayed with you that one time before and.." John had said over the phone and Bobby had smiled wryly before he'd cut the younger man off.
"You want me to look after the boys?" Bobby had asked.
"If you don't mind." John had said. "Sammy has been a little under the weather the last couple of days, and even though I know Dean knows how to look after his brother, I.."
"Don't worry, I'll take them." Bobby had said while doing his best not to sound too eager on the phone.
That had been two days ago and Bobby couldn't wait for the Winchester brothers to arrive. Ever since John had dropped off his boys at Bobby's house for the first time six months ago, the brothers had had a special place in the older hunter's heart. Dean; the stoic little man with the smug attitude and a fierce protectiveness towards his younger brother, and Sam; the happy little dewy-eyed sweetheart who asked a million questions and loved his older brother more than anything in the entire world (except perhaps his precious Lucky Charms that Bobby had remembered to store in his kitchen this time.) Those boys were the closest thing Bobby had ever come to having kids of his own, and he had decided that he would treat them as had they been his own two sons.
Bobby shook his head at his own sloppiness and glanced towards the second bed in the room. The last time the brothers had been there, Sam had refused to sleep in a bed of his own and had instead ended up sharing the other bed with Dean. Bobby didn't know whether or not things had changed over the past six months, but he had a feeling that the brothers would prefer to share the same bed this time as well, so he didn't bother making the second bed too.
Guestroom taken care of, Bobby continued to whistle as he refilled his dog Ranger's bowl with dog food and scratched the creature behind its ear, before Bobby went through his newly-bought supplies. John had explained to him that Sam had had a bad cold, so Bobby had done some research on the subject to be prepared to handle the sick kid when he and his brother showed up.
Speaking of the boys, Bobby glanced at his wrist watch and realized that John could be here with them any minute now, so the older hunter went to a window and moved the curtains a bit aside to peek outside. No Impala yet. Bobby sighed and impatiently drummed with his fingers on the window sill. What the hell had those boys done to him to make him such a softie?
The older hunter paced a bit back and forth in his living room while half-heartedly following up on some research for a hunter he knew, when suddenly Ranger started barking.
"Are they here?" Bobby asked the dog before peeking through the curtains once more, and he smiled when he saw the black Chevy Impala from '67 come to a stop in the salvage yard.
As Bobby Singer walked the short distance outside to his porch, he wondered if the boys would even remember being at his place before - if they would even remember him - and the salvage yard owner felt his heart drop by the thought of it. Dean would probably remember but would Sam as well?
"Hi Uncle Bobby!" Dean called and waved his hand at the older hunter as he stepped out of the car. The kid took out a bag from the trunk of the car and swung it over his shoulder before he walked towards Bobby with a smile on his face.
"Dean." Bobby smiled and ruffled the young boy's hair when he got close enough. "Good to see you, boy. What have you been up to?"
"Nothing good." Dean smirked and Bobby snorted.
His eyes then caught sight of Sam as John Winchester carried the boy from the car to the porch. The little boy was wearing a beanie and a scarf, and judging from the red color decorating the kid's nose, Bobby was sure that the cold hadn't got much better since John's phone call.
"Hey Bobby." John said.
"Johnny." Bobby nodded and looked from John's face to Sam's. Bobby didn't doubt for a second that the kid was sick. "Hey there, Sam."
"Unca Bobba." Sam said in a congested voice and gave the man a small smile before rubbing his eyes.
Bobby reached out his arms for the boy and his heart swelled when Sam automatically reached out his arms too and allowed the hunter to take him from his dad.
"I don't know when I'll be back yet." John said and handed over Sam's teddy that Bobby accepted with one hand while he used the other one to keep Sam in place on his arm. "But I'll call you as soon as I know."
"It's fine." Bobby assured the younger man. "I'll look after the boys until you get back. Don't worry about it."
"Thanks Bobby." John said and looked between his two boys for a moment. "Be good to Bobby while I'm gone, okay? And stay out of trouble. I mean it, Dean."
"Yes sir." Dean said and his father gave him an approving nod.
"Bye bye Daddy." Sam waved and John smiled a little.
"Bye Sammy." John said and patted Sam's beanie-covered head in a gentle way before he took off.
"You boys have gotten so big." Bobby said as he followed Dean inside the house.
"That's because I'm eight now." Dean happily announced and crouched down to pet Ranger - the dog licking at Dean's face, making the eight-year-old laugh.
"And what about you, Sam?" Bobby asked and put Sam down on the ground before he removed the beanie from Sam's head, revealing the big brown mop of hair while doing so. "How old are you now?"
"Thwee!" Sam smiled and held up two fingers and Dean smoothly moved a third of Sam's fingers upwards with a chuckle.
"Still three?" Bobby asked.
"Uh-huh, his birthday is on May 2nd." Dean said and handed Sam his teddy bear that Bobby had dropped by accident, smiling to his brother as Sam clutched the teddy to his chest. "Mine is January the 24th so it's just been my birthday."
"I'll try to remember that." Bobby said. "And congratulations. What did your daddy give you?"
"This." Dean grinned and pointed at the black t-shirt he was wearing.
"What is a 'Metallica'?" Bobby wanted to know with a frown.
"Probably one of the best bands ever!" Dean said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Sam then coughed and sniffled, and Bobby reached a hand down to feel Sam's forehead.
"So, do you boys like apple juice?" Bobby asked after confirming that Sam was running a fever and decided he had to get some fluids into the small boy.
"Yes!" Sam exclaimed . "Me lovey!"
"Dean?" Bobby asked.
"Sure." Dean answered before he led his brother to the couch and lifted him up on it as Bobby walked to the kitchen to prepare the drinks.
Sam then sneezed and Dean wrinkled his nose as Sam had green-ish snot hanging from his nose.
"Eww, Sammy." Dean commented but wiped Sam's nose with a napkin nonetheless.
It never ceased to amaze Bobby that Dean did those kinda things without a complaint - like had it been the most natural thing for an eight-year-old boy to do for his younger brother. Even more impressive did it become as Dean claimed the spot next to Sam on the couch and draped a blanket over Sam's legs before turning on the TV with the remote. Dean flicked through the different channels until he settled on some cartoons and allowed Sam to snuggle closer to his big brother.
"You're all sweaty and warm." Dean grumbled but he still didn't push Sam away from him or suggest that he should move.
"Two apple juices coming up." Bobby said and handed a cup with a straw to each of the boys.
Bobby sighed as Ranger then decided to scratch on the front door, letting the older hunter know that he needed to be walked and since Bobby wasn't thrilled about dog excrements on his floors, he had to fulfill the dog's wish.
"Balls." Bobby mumbled. "Boys, I'm gonna take Ranger for a quick walk in the salvage yard."
"Okay." Dean said without looking away from the TV. Sam didn't say anything; he seemed to be too engrossed in the cartoons.
When Bobby returned from his walk - all wet and grumpy from a sudden cloudburst - he found the Winchester boys both asleep on the couch; Dean with an arm around Sam, and the younger brother leaning his head against Dean's shoulder. Bobby couldn't help but smile affectionately by the sight of it, and the grumpiness he'd felt moments before started fading away as quickly as the cloudburst had appeared outside. Bobby then rearranged the blanket so that it covered both Sam and Dean and turned the TV off. It was so great being able to look after those boys again.
Chapter 2
Bobby was in his kitchen in the middle of preparing dinner (macaroni and cheese) when Dean walked into the room in the middle of a yawn.
"How was naptime, kid?" Bobby asked which made the eight-year-old frown.
"I don't nap." Dean protested. "I'm a big boy."
"Oh really?" Bobby asked and raised an eyebrow. "So eight-year-olds are not allowed to nap? What do you call it when you fall asleep in the middle of the day then?"
"If was for Sammy's sake so that he could sleep." Dean explained. "He falls asleep easier when I do the same."
"Mmhmm.." Bobby said, having no doubts that Dean did a lot of things for his younger brother's sake but not really believing that Dean hadn't enjoyed a little naptime with Sam. "Your brother still asleep?"
Dean nodded and got up on his toes to peek at what Bobby was doing.
"What are you making?" Dean wanted to know.
"Mac and cheese." Bobby said. "You boys like that, right?"
"I think so." Dean said with a shrug of his shoulders and Bobby shot the boy an incredulous look.
"Don't tell me you've never had mac and cheese before?" Bobby asked and Dean shrugged his shoulders once more. "Well, you're gonna eat it tonight then."
"I'm not sure Sam will eat much." Dean said.
"Why not?" Bobby wanted to know.
"Because he's sick." Dean said matter-of-factly. "He doesn't eat much when he's sick and he's kinda clingy and fussy too."
"You know a lot about your brother, huh?" Bobby said with a shake of his head while pouring water into the sink from the pot of pasta. "Can you bring me the milk from the fridge?"
"Sure." Dean said, walked to the fridge and opened it up before he found a carton of milk and brought the item back to Bobby.
"Thanks Dean." Bobby said as he accepted the milk.
Dean then dragged one of the chairs to the kitchen counter and climbed up on it so that he could see everything Bobby was doing, and the action of it made Bobby feel warm inside. He guessed this was how it would have been like had he and Karen had kids of their own - had Bobby wanted to have kids of his own - but Bobby didn't mind at all that the Winchester brothers would be the ones he showed the ropes. Cooking wasn't exactly one of his greatest qualities though, but maybe there were other things the older hunter could teach the kids - like how to fix cars for instance. Sam was still way too young to be taught such things, but Dean was getting there. Bobby figured that John was probably busy teaching his oldest how to stay alive and protect his younger brother from the supernatural beings out there, so the salvage-yard owner decided he could as well add a little bit of normal for the boys.
While the food was in the oven, Dean helped Bobby set the table and pour up some milk in the three glasses, before the little clock on the stove went off - indicating that the food was done.
"Go wake up your brother, will ya?" Bobby asked Dean.
"Okay Uncle Bobby." Dean said, making Bobby smile as he used the nickname.
Bobby put the food on the table and it didn't take long before Dean returned to the kitchen, grasping Sam's little hand in his. The younger boy had his teddy in the other hand and Sam looked anything but well. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes glassy and his nose was still red.
"Hey there Sam." Bobby said as Dean lifted his baby brother up on a chair. "You hungry?"
Sam shook his head while rubbing at his eyes and he coughed a little. He didn't say anything and Bobby hated that the kid looked so miserable.
"Well, we still need to get a little bit of food into you." Bobby said and put some macaroni and cheese on a plate before putting it in front of Sam, doing the same thing with Dean's plate.
Sam just stared at the food and didn't look like he had any intentions of eating anything. Dean, on the other hand, was already digging into the food - with an eagerness that made Bobby raise his eyebrows.
"Sam, eat something." Bobby told the youngest Winchester but Sam shook his head once more.
"Sammy." Dean said with his mouth full of food.
Sam looked at his older brother and Dean smiled encouragingly in return.
"Don' wanna." Sam pouted and wiped his nose with his sleeve.
"It's really good." Dean said and made an 'Mmm' sound as he took another bite of his food. "You should try some."
Sam shook his head again and Dean studied his brother's face for a few seconds before he put his fork down.
"Fine, then I won't eat either." Dean said which made the older hunter gape.
"Excuse me?" Bobby said.
"If Sam won't have any dinner, then I won't have any dinner either." Dean said and leaned back in his chair with a little sigh. "I guess that means I'll have to go to bed hungry tonight."
A little frown line appeared between the three-year-old's eyes and his pout grew bigger. It was clear as day that Sam didn't like the thought of being the reason why Dean had to go to bed hungry. He looked pleadingly at his older brother but Dean stayed where he was - just looking longingly at his plate of food. Sam made a miserable sound and looked at his own plate of food.
"You don't even have to eat it all - just a little bit of it." Dean remarked casually. "But if you don't want to…" Dean sighed again and didn't remove his eyes from his plate of food.
Sam, still pouting, looked between Dean and his plate of food a couple of times and looked like he was soon going to be upset. Bobby wondered for a moment if he should interfere in whatever Dean was trying to do when Sam - to the older hunter's big surprise - picked up his fork, stuck it into a single piece of macaroni and slowly put it into his mouth.
Dean smiled wryly, ruffled Sam's hair in an affectionately way and then picked up his own fork before once again digging into his food - smiling wider as Bobby shot him an impressive look. As Dean had predicted Sam didn't eat much, but the younger boy did consume a little bit of his food and that was the important part. Bobby even managed to give the youngest Winchester some liquid Tylenol after Dean had promised the kid to tell him a story by bedtime.
However, Sam didn't actually make it as far as to his regular bedtime since his eyelids were already drooping before they'd even finished eating dinner - his teddy falling to the floor as it slipped from Sam's little fingers. Bobby and Dean were in the middle of a conversation about which school classes Dean preferred the most, when Sam came dangerously close to nose-diving into the remains of his mac and cheese. Dean snaked an arm around Sam's shoulders and - while he continued the conversation with Bobby - made sure the younger brother's head was resting against Dean's shoulder instead of on the plate of food. The sight of it warmed the salvage yard owner's heart.
"Better get Sam to bed before he falls off his chair." Bobby commented as he got to his feet.
"I've got him." Dean assured.
"I have no doubt about that but your little brother will sleep better in a bed." Bobby said and gave Dean's back a gentle pat before picking up the sleeping Winchester.
Sam made a little sound, his head lolling to a stop against Bobby's neck but his eyes remaining closed. Bobby picked up the Winchester brothers' bag as well before he turned to look at Dean.
"Come on, Dean. You too." Bobby said and the older brother sighed a little before he jumped off his chair, picked up Sam's teddy from the floor and followed Bobby upstairs to the guestroom.
"Why don't you go change to your pajamas and brush your teeth before bedtime?" Bobby asked Dean while turning on the bedside lamp. "I'll tuck Sam in to bed in the meanwhile."
Dean looked a bit insecure at Bobby, who still had the sleeping three-year-old on his arm, and his eyes lingered at his little brother.
"I can handle it." Bobby assured the older brother. "Go on."
"Okay." Dean said though Bobby had a feeling that he would rather be the one tucking in his younger brother.
Dean found his pajamas and a toothbrush from the bag and handed over Sam's pajamas and the teddy to Bobby before the oldest Winchester brother walked to the door. He hesitated when he'd reached it, looked over his shoulder at Sam once more before he eventually left the room.
"Stubborn little kid." Bobby mumbled.
He carefully lowered Sam down on the bed, pulled the used clothes off the younger boy as cautiously as possible before he got Sam into his pajamas. It took him a little while to do it since it was the first time he'd ever had to dress a kid and Bobby cursed when he realized he'd put the pajamas shirt on Sam the wrong way around. He eventually got it right though and tucked the covers around Sam's small form before he placed a hand on Sam's forehead. The youngest Winchester was still a little too warm for Bobby's liking but he was confident that the Tylenol would take its effect soon.
Bobby then decided to check up on Dean, but he hadn't moved more than a few steps away from the guestroom before Sam started crying.
"Balls." Bobby muttered before he hurried back into the guestroom and found the upset three-year-old sitting up in bed wailing.
"What's the matter, Sam?" Bobby asked and sat down on the edge of the bed, trying to figure out how to sooth the upset kid. "You hurting somewhere?"
"Deeeee!" Sam sobbed. "Me wan' Deeee!"
Tear tracks were already covering Sam's cheeks and he coughed harshly in between his sobs, worrying the older hunter. Bobby lifted up the kid and bounced him a bit on his knee while shushing him.
"It's okay. Dean will be here soon." Bobby promised. "You can stop crying."
But Sam didn't stop crying; he just squirmed and hiccupped, coughed and sobbed some more. Dean hadn't been kidding when he said that Sam was rather fussy when he was sick.
"Deeeeaaan!" Sam sobbed. "Wan' Deeeeaaan!"
"Right here, Sammy." Dean said as he showed up in the guestroom, threw his used clothes on top of their bag and quickly climbed onto the bed. Bobby let go of Sam and Dean closed his arms around his upset little brother who buried his tear-stained face against Dean's chest.
"Shh, you're alright." Dean shushed the three-year-old while rubbing soothing circles on the kid's back. "You're alright, Sammy."
Sam's sobs eventually ceased to hiccups and sniffles but Dean didn't let go of him just yet.
"You were hurting Uncle Bobby's ears with all that crying." Dean said, brushed Sam's hair out of his eyes and smiled as Sam's tear-filled eyes looked up at him.
Dean used the sleeve of his pajamas shirt to wipe the wetness off Sam's face and the younger brother then buried his face against Dean's chest again.
"Sorry." Dean said to Bobby. "He gets like this once in a while - especially when he's sick."
"It's okay, kid." Bobby said, still so impressed with the unique relationship the Winchester brothers shared. Other kids wanted their mommy and daddy when they were sick or upset - Sam Winchester just wanted his big brother. And his big brother was always ready to comfort the younger boy.
Bobby got up from his position on the edge of the bed, tucked in both boys this time and smiled fondly when Sam snuggled even closer to Dean; one hand clutching his brother's shirt while he was sucking on the thumb of his other hand.
"Sleep tight, boys." Bobby whispered and turned the bedside lamp off before leaving the room - making sure to keep the door ajar just in case he was needed.
He still had some cleaning up to do in the kitchen, some research to pass on to some fellow hunters, and Ranger still needed to be walked before he could call it a night himself. When Bobby put the carton of milk away and closed the fridge door, his eyes caught sight of a drawing Sam had made the first time the boys had stayed at his place. Sam had been coloring the picture while Dean had told Bobby that he knew about the supernatural beings out there because his dad had told him about them. Sam had given the drawing to Bobby afterwards and had happily announced that the doodles he'd colored had been; "Sammy, Dean, Daddy, Unca Bobba and Wanger!" Bobby had put the picture on the door of his fridge for Sam's sake with the intention of taking it down when the boys had left, but he had then subsequently realized that he couldn't find it in his heart to take it down again. He felt the same way about the drawing of the Impala that hung right next to Sam's picture - Dean's creation. Who would have thought the grumpy old hunter from Sioux Falls would have ended up having children's drawings on his fridge?
"Not me." Bobby told himself with a little chuckle.
He then took the tail-wagging Ranger with him outside for a short walk while storing the memories of the day inside his mind. Anything that included the Winchester brothers was worth remembering.
Chapter 3
Like the last time - which also happened to be the first time - the boys had stayed with Bobby, the two young kids were up earlier than the salvage yard owner himself. Bobby found them on the couch in his living room; Sam covered with a blanket and with his head in Dean's lap while Dean was absent-mindedly rubbing a hand up and down the younger boy's back - his eyes fixed on the cartoons in TV. And even Ranger had joined in on the huddling on the couch as he had placed his head underneath Sam's arm.
"Good morning." Bobby told the kids.
"Morning." Dean yawned.
"Morning Unca Bobba!" Sam exclaimed in a hoarse voice and coughed a little.
"Easy." Dean told the youngest brother while continuing to rub his back, and Dean then turned his head towards Bobby. "Sammy's still sick."
"He is, huh?" Bobby commented and closed the distance to the couch before crouching down in front of the boys. "How you doing, Sam? Throat hurts?"
Sam nodded.
"And his head hurts too." Dean added.
Bobby felt Sam's forehead and sighed a little when he felt the warmth radiating from Sam's skin.
"You know what? I have just the right cure for you." Bobby told the youngest boy. "Wanna know what it is?"
"Okay." Sam said and blinked up at the older hunter with big green eyes.
"If I tell you, do you promise me to take the medicine then?" Bobby asked.
Sam hesitated a bit and peeked up at his older brother.
"I would say yes if it was me." Dean revealed to Sam and the youngest Winchester brother turned his eyes back at Bobby before nodding.
"Alright, I'll show you then. Hang on." Bobby said and got back on his feet before he went to the kitchen, and returned a few moments later with a box in his hand. "Here's something that'll make you feel better for sure."
Bobby shook the box in his hand, and Sam's face lit up before he happily exclaimed; "Lucky Charms! Look Dean, Lucky Charms!"
Dean smiled because of his little brother's excitement and gave Bobby a thumbs-up which made the older hunter smile as well. Ranger started wagging its tail and barked a couple of times because of the excitement in the room and that made Sam laugh heartily - until it dissolved into a coughing fit that reminded Bobby that Sam was good for another dose of liquid Tylenol.
Sam actually finished almost an entire bowl of Lucky Charms for breakfast and even swallowed down the medicine without too much trouble and resistance. Bobby let the boys watch cartoons most of the afternoon while he got some work done - by his desk where he could keep an eye on the brothers, just to make sure they were alright - and the older hunter smiled amused every now and then when he overheard the conversation between Dean and Sam.
"You see Sammy, that's Batman." Dean told his younger brother and pointed at the TV. "He's the coolest superhero in the world."
"Batwam?" Sam said.
"Batman." Dean corrected. "When I grow up, I wanna be as cool as him."
A frown line appeared between Sam's eyes and he tilted his head a bit to the side while watching the superhero in TV.
"Dean, Batwam's no pants." Sam said in a serious tone, and Bobby had to hide behind a book while Dean deadpanned.
"It's Batman, Sammy." Dean said and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "And he is wearing a superhero costume so he doesn't need pants."
"But Deeeaaan…" Sam said and Dean sighed.
"If you're gonna ask me if I'm not gonna wear pants either when I grow up, I'm gonna hit you." Dean threatened and Sam kept silent - for about five seconds.
"Deeean." Sam started.
"Sam." Dean sighed. "What?"
"Head hurts." Sam said and Dean removed his eyes from the TV screen to look at his brother.
"Bad?" Dean asked and Sam nodded.
Dean pulled Sam closer and began to card his fingers through Sam's curly mop in a soothing way, all the while Bobby decided he had to come up with something fun to do for the eight-year-old and his sick little brother that didn't include watching TV.
"Dean, can you make sure that you and Sam put on some warm clothes?" Bobby asked the oldest brother later in the day. "We're going outside."
"Sure Uncle Bobby." Dean said though he looked a little pensive as to what the older hunter had come up with. "Come on, Sammy."
While Dean put on some warm clothes and helped his brother getting into warm clothes as well, Bobby went outside to prepare his little surprise for the boys. Bobby lit up a little bonfire in the middle of his salvage yard, used some old car seat cushions for seats and found a couple of long sticks and a bag of marshmallows before he went inside again to check up on the boys. Dean was in the middle of tugging Sam's beanie over the younger brother's head when Bobby showed up.
"Are you ready?" Bobby asked and grabbed some blankets that he intended to bring with him to the bonfire.
"Almost." Dean answered, zipped up Sam's jacket, tightened the scarf around Sam's neck a bit and pulled a pair of gloves over Sam's small fingers - all the while Sam put up with his older brother's ministrations without any complains.
Dean gave Sam a quick once over with his eyes before he found a napkin, held it against the younger boy's nose and told him to blow. Bobby hadn't known a lot of kids in his life but he felt it was safe to say that Dean Winchester was the most motherly eight-year-old he'd ever met, ever heard of and would probably ever know of.
While Dean zipped up his own jacket, Sam looked up at Bobby with a dimpled smile and Bobby couldn't have stopped himself from returning the gesture even if he had wanted to.
"Now we're ready." Dean said and grabbed Sam's gloved hand in his before looking expectantly up at the older hunter.
"Alright, come on then." Bobby said and opened up the front door, almost stumbled when Ranger came rushing by to join them outside.
"Dean! Fire!" Sam exclaimed when his eyes caught sight of the bonfire in the salvage yard and tugged at Dean's hand. "Look!"
Dean froze on the spot and clenched Sam's hand harder in his while his eyes were clued to the orange flames that lit up the darkening salvage yard.
"Dean? You okay, boy?" Bobby asked with a frown when he noticed the look on the oldest Winchester brother's face.
"Y-yeah." Dean said, an involuntarily shutter passing through his body. "I just don't like fire that much."
"Well, it's only a bonfire." Bobby assured the eight-year-old. "You'll be safe."
He sat down on one of the old car seat cushions and waved the brothers closer.
"I figured we could roast some marshmallows." Bobby commented and waved the bag of marshmallows in the air.
"Me lovey candy!" Sam said, smiling up at his older brother and then coughed a bit.
"I know, Sam." Dean said, tearing his eyes away from the bonfire and sending the smaller boy a quick smile before guiding him towards Bobby.
Dean sat down on a car seat cushion next to Bobby and pulled Sam down with him so that the younger boy could sit on his lap while Ranger lay down in front of them. Bobby draped a blanket around the two boys before he handed each of them a stick with a marshmallow.
"Now, hold the stick close to the flames but be careful not to put it into the flames." Bobby explained and showed the boys how to do it with a marshmallow stick of his own. "See? It's easy."
Dean quickly got the hang of it while Bobby roasted the marshmallows for Sam since the three-year-old kept dropping his stick into the flames.
"What are those lights?" Dean asked the salvage yard owner and pointed towards some small flying lights in the distance.
"That's Lampyridae - also known as fireflies." Bobby answered. "It's little winged beetles actually. Pretty, aren't they?"
"Yeah." Dean admitted. Sam, on the other hand, was more fascinated with the gooey marshmallows that had come to stick to his face and fingers; some of it was even sticking to his little nose.
"Stowy, Unca Bobba?" Sam asked before sneezing.
"Bless you. And what was that, Sam?" Bobby wanted to know.
"Sam wants you to tell a story." Dean said and tucked the blanket a little closer around Sam while the younger boy nodded eagerly.
"A story, huh?" Bobby asked and scratched his beard a bit. "I don't know.."
"Pweeease, Unca Bobba!" Sam pleaded with big expressive eyes.
"Well alright, I guess I can tell you a story." Bobby said, giving in to the youngest Winchester's pleading. "Let's see.. Once upon a time there was an old king who lived all alone in his big kingdom."
"Why?" Sam asked.
"Well, it was because he had lost his wife - the queen." Bobby said. "She was gone because a bad dragon had taken her."
Sam cuddled up closer to his big brother, since the part about the dragon had frightened him a little, and Dean tightened his arms around Sam.
"The king and queen never had any kids so there weren't any princes or princesses in the kingdom either." Bobby continued while staring into the flames of the bonfire. "You see, the king never really wanted kids but he had to admit that living all alone in that big kingdom of his was rather lonely."
"Then what happened?" Dean asked.
"Then one day, a knight came along with his two little boys on a shiny black stallion; the oldest was very, very brave and the youngest was as sweet as the day is long." Bobby said. "The knight was a very busy fellow; always out saving princesses from bad dragons, so he asked the king if he could look after the knight's boys in the meanwhile. And the king said yes."
"Why?" Sam asked.
"To do the knight a favor. But the more time the king spent with the boys, the more he cared for them." Bobby said. "He treated them like had they been real princes in his kingdom."
Bobby cleared his throat a bit since he suddenly felt a little emotional. No, Bobby Singer is never emotional, damn it!
"Did the knight come back?" Dean wanted to know and Bobby nodded.
"He did, and the boys left with him." Bobby said. "But the boys were always welcome to visit the old king anytime they wanted and the king was no longer lonely. And they lived happily ever after."
"Good story, Uncle Bobby." Dean said and Bobby smiled a little.
"Thanks, kid." Bobby said and ruffled Dean's hair before glancing down at Sam. "Looks like your brother fell asleep."
"Yeah." Dean said, resting his chin on the top of Sam's head.
"And you look tired too." Bobby noticed. "Come on."
The older hunter left his seat, took the sleeping kid from Dean and guided the older boy back inside with a hand on his shoulder - while Ranger followed faithfully behind and Sam continued to sleep peacefully on Bobby's arm.
Chapter 4
Bobby Singer had had a lot of bad nights in his life - nights he didn't want to remember but ones he had never been able to forget; There was, for instance, the night as a kid where he'd watched his dad hit his mom one time too many, the night his Karen died, and that night in Omaha on a hunt with Rufus where everything went terribly wrong. This particular night wasn't too bad compared to those horrible nights.. but it was bad enough.
Sam's fever had suddenly spiked in the middle of the night and the three-year-old had been crying non-stop ever since then. Sam was hurting - kept sobbing that his ears hurt - and even Dean hadn't managed to make his brother fall asleep again. Bobby hadn't wanted Dean to stay awake throughout the night as well, so he'd picked up Sam from the bed, placed the kid over his shoulder - while shushing him and bouncing him a bit - and had intended to leave the room when Dean spoke up.
"It won't work." Dean had told the older hunter, clearly not satisfied with being excluded from taking care of Sam.
"It will or it won't." Bobby had told the stubborn eight-year-old while Sam had continued to cry. "But you don't need to worry about it, alright? I'll take care of Sam, and you need to go back to sleep."
"I can help!" Dean protested - or pleaded rather. "Sammy needs me."
"Sam needs something for his fever and ears, and you need your sleep." Bobby tried to reason with the kid. "Look, he'll probably fall asleep again soon and then you'll both be fit in the morning."
Dean started pouting but Bobby stood his ground. The older hunter knew that Dean took care of Sam all the time but, after all, the kid was only eight years old. He didn't have to always carry the world on his shoulders. That was what adults were for so Bobby was more than happy to take that burden away from Dean - even if it was just for one night.
After Bobby had tucked the sulking Winchester brother back in, he walked downstairs with the crying three-year-old and managed to get a dosage of liquid Tylenol into him before the older hunter started walking back and forth in his living room with Sam. Bobby shushed the kid and muttered soft assurances over and over but Sam continued to cry.
"Deeeeeean." Sam sobbed, soaking the fabric of Bobby's plaid shirt with his tears while his little fingers pulled at his hurting ears. It was heartbreaking.
"Dean's sleeping, Sam. You'll have to settle for me." Bobby told the kid and mentally kicked himself for that comment as Sam started sobbing louder with the knowledge that he was not going to be soothed by his big brother. "Shh. There, there, Sam. Come on, kid, settle down."
Sam didn't settle down however. The youngest Winchester brother continued to cry and had cried ceaselessly for about forty minutes when Bobby finally couldn't take it any longer. The older hunter found his address book, picked up his phone and wondered for a second if he should give John Winchester a call to tell him how his youngest was doing. Bobby ended up deciding against it though - Johnny had enough to worry about as it was - before he made a call to an old acquaintance of his.
"Who's this?" The voice on the other end of the line barked when the phone was picked up.
"Doc Myers?" Bobby asked.
"Who's asking?" The man wanted to know and Bobby rolled his eyes while shifting Sam a bit on his arm.
"Bobby Singer." Bobby answered.
"What the hell do you want?" The doctor asked. "You better be dying or at least missing an arm! Do you realize what time it is?"
Bobby glanced at his watch while once again trying to shush the crying three-year-old. 03:17.
"Wait, is that a crying kid I can hear?" Dr. Myers asked. "Since when did you have kids?"
"Not mine." Bobby said. "Look, I need your advice about a three-year-old with ear pains. And before you say something; you do owe me one for that one time in Wyoming!"
"Not fair." Dr. Myers said with a sigh. "Fever?"
"Yeah. It started out as a cold but now he's complaining about his ears." Bobby said, straining to hear what the doctor had to say above Sam's crying. "Look, I haven't dealt with a sick kid before and he won't stop crying."
"Well, it sounds like the kid might be dealing with an inflammation of the middle ear." The doctor revealed.
"What the hell is that?" Bobby demanded to know, his concern spiking. "Is it something serious? Does he need a hospital?"
"First of all; it's very common in his age." Dr. Myers assured the older hunter. "And you don't need to take the kid to a doctor unless his ears are still hurting after three to four days. Have you given him any pain medications?"
"A round of liquid Tylenol half an hour ago." Bobby answered, rubbing a hand up and down Sam's back as the kid once more sobbed out his brother's name.
"Good, it'll kick in soon then." Dr. Myers praised. "You just follow the instructions on the bottle to reduce the fever and pain, and then the kid should be fine. Remember to elevate his head; the ear pains get worse when he's lying down. Oh, and Singer?"
"Yeah?" Bobby asked.
"If you call me at this hour again, I'll kill you." The doctor threatened and hung up with a click.
"Yeah, good night to you too. Idjit." Bobby huffed and put the phone back in place before he started walking back and forth with Sam again as the minutes ticked by.
"Deeeeeaaan." Sam hiccupped, his sobs slowly ceasing since he was starting to wear out as exhaustion took over his body.
Sixty-seven minutes after Sam had first started crying, the three-year-old finally lost the battle against sleep. Bobby let out a deep sigh of relief and smiled wryly as he wiped the tears off Sam's damp face and dried the boy's running nose. Sam was still hiccupping every now and then but as long as he stayed asleep, it was all good.
Bobby carried Sam back upstairs but as he reached the top of the stairs, the older hunter was quite surprised to find Dean sitting next to the staircase. The oldest Winchester brother had his knees drawn up to his chest - his arms wrapped around them - and his face was hidden behind them.
"Balls." Bobby mumbled, careful not wake up Sam. "Dean?"
Dean slowly lifted his head and Bobby's heart clenched a bit as he saw the tear tracks on the eight-year-old's cheeks.
"Just a minute." Bobby told the boy before he carried Sam the rest of the way to the guestroom, put the boy down on the bed and made sure Sam's head was elevated before he tucked the kid in and went back to Dean. "What's the matter, Dean? You didn't sleep at all?"
Dean shook his head and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, while Bobby crouched down in front of him.
"I couldn't sleep when Sammy was hurting." Dean said. "And h-he kept crying for me, Uncle Bobby."
Bobby sighed and washed a hand down his face. How could he have believed that Dean would've just gone back to sleep without problems?
"I know Dean and I'm sorry." Bobby said and patted the boy's shoulder. "I should have known you wouldn't get any rest. And I know you feel responsible for Sam, but you don't have to worry so much about him when I'm here, okay?"
"I guess." Dean sniffled - although Bobby knew that it was useless for him to try to convince Dean to stop worrying so much about his younger brother.
"But you should have just come downstairs though - instead of sitting up here on the cold floor. Come on." Bobby said and straightened back up.
Bobby helped Dean up from the floor and gently guided the kid back to the guestroom where Sam was, thankfully, still completely out cold.
"Will Sammy be okay?" Dean asked Bobby.
"Of course he will." Bobby promised and then shooed the oldest Winchester brother back to bed.
Dean snuggled as close to his younger brother as possible and put a hand on the sleeping boy's chest as if he wanted to assure himself that Sam was breathing and kept doing it. Bobby felt - not for the first time since he'd met the Winchester brothers - an ache in his heart by the sight of it. These boys meant the world to each other, and Bobby had a feeling that it wouldn't change when they grew up.
_ SPN _
The following day, Bobby was up before the boys for once which gave him plenty of time to find bowls and spoons, milk and the box of Lucky Charms. The salvage-yard owner hoped that Sam was feeling better today and that they wouldn't be dealing with a repetition of the previous night - Dean also deserved a little break from all the worrying. Maybe this should be the day where he taught the oldest kid a thing or two about cars? Bobby knew that Johnny was an excellent mechanic himself but Bobby doubted he'd spent much time teaching Dean anything about cars. Ghosts, monsters, how to handle a shotgun - sure - but cars? Bobby shook his head in disbelieve. Those boys were still so innocent and Bobby hated to know that it would all change sooner or later. He hoped for the latter. Bobby's eyes once again caught sight of the drawings on his fridge and he let out a sigh. He definitely hoped for the latter.
Part 2