But What We Make (Part IV)
“Sam, your mother is here.”
Sam looked up at the Vice Principal as she walked in the room, followed closely by Sarah Reese. He felt tears sting his eyes and though he was sure his face didn’t show his inner turmoil, Sarah’s eyes seemed to hone in on his weakness.
“What happened?” Sarah asked, pulling the Vice Principal’s attention away from Sam, giving him a few moments to collect himself. He didn’t think she understood what upset him but she knew something had and she had been with the Winchester family long enough to know they didn’t like having their emotions played out for anyone.
“There was a fight. To be honest, the few kids that were willing to talk about the incident said Richie Johnson started the fight, but the way he looks I have a hard time believing their version of the story.”
“Why is that?” Sarah demanded. There was nothing timid about Sarah and if the Vice Principal was used to parents coming in and being as intimidated as the students, she was sorely mistaken.
“This is the third time Sam has been-“
“This is the third time Sam has had to defend himself from bullies since we moved here. I think it says something about your staff that bullying has become so prevalent that so many students think they can get away with it.”
“Ms. Winchester, I assure you there were no incidents of bullying before your son came here.”
“Let me see if I understand you correctly,” Sarah said in a level voice. Sam would have cringed if that voice was directed at him because that tone was Sarah when she was about to cut you off at the legs, but the Vice Principal didn’t know that. “Sam has been in three fights in the two weeks he’s been in this school. Every incident has eyewitnesses coming forward to say he was being bullied. You call me to come pick him up, leaving him bruised and still bleeding without letting him see the nurse in that time, and you then accuse him of starting the fights, simply because he gave better than he got?”
The Vice Principal took a step back and Sarah leaned forward. “What you’re saying is I’m here because my boy took care of the bully problem your staff is too ineffective to stop.”
Sarah stood straight then, looking at Sam for the first time since she started talking. “Come on, Sam, we’re leaving.”
“Ms. Winchester-“
“The name is Reese, Sarah Reese. Next time at least get that right before you make the call.”
“Um, Ms. Reese, Sam is not suspended. He will be returned to the classroom now.”
“Like hell he will,” Sarah growled. “I will be making calls in the morning and Sam will be transferred to the High School.”
“I don’t think that’s appropriate.”
“Yeah, and when they tested Sam and suggested we move him up you said the same thing, it would be detrimental to his development to be moved up a grade. We listened to you then and it’s not a mistake I’ll repeat. Sam will be transferred up to the High School and you will do whatever it takes to make it happen. I don’t care if he skips grades or just takes classes there, but it will happen.”
Sarah didn’t give the woman another chance to speak, she simply nodded her head towards Sam who grabbed his back pack and ran out the door ahead of her.
They were both silent as they got in the white jeep, Sam trying to hold back his emotions. His Dad wouldn’t have bothered to try to get Sam moved, he’d have just been proud of him for standing up for himself. If he went to the high school though, Dean would be there. At least Dean would be watching out for him if there were bullies. When Sarah started the jeep up, Sam just held his back pack tight against his chest, staring out the window.
“Sam, are you alright?”
Sarah wasn’t much better about dealing with the emotional stuff than his dad was. Actually, Dean was the only one that really seemed to get him, with JC coming in a close second. In the year JC and Sarah had been with them, he’d become almost as close to Sam as Dean was. It didn’t mean Sarah didn’t try though.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“I know better than to think you’re upset about a fight.”
He didn’t say anything though and Sarah let the silence lengthen between them. It wasn’t until they pulled up in front of their current motel that Sarah finally let out a heavy sigh. “Sam-“
“No one,” he stopped her as he pushed open the door. “I just … no one has ever said my Mom was there before.” He jumped out of the jeep then and scrambled for his key. With the five of them they couldn’t live in one room so John and Sarah stayed in one and the boys took another. It gave him the room to himself and he was grateful he was alone.
He knew it wouldn’t last long. Even if Sarah didn’t try to talk to him, he knew his brother would be home from school soon and Sarah would totally rat him out to Dean.
He threw himself on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Dean wouldn’t understand, not really. Dean remembered Mom, remembered her smile and voice and sometimes he still talked to Sam about her. As much as Dean liked Sarah he would never think of her as a mother. JC might understand this one though. He’d never had a stable life either, his longest stint in one place had been during a two year period where he’d been shuffled from one foster family to another, for reasons Sam still didn’t know. He’d never had a father figure and he looked at John sometimes like he was everything he’d ever wanted, quickly followed by a look of extreme guilt. He didn’t know that story either, but Sam felt that way too sometimes, like he was disrespecting what had happened to his mother by thinking, even for a second, that Sarah could take that role.
He heard the Impala long before the door to their room opened up. He didn’t bother to look, but he heard both Dean and JC’s footsteps on the carpet. Dean must have picked him up on the way home.
“Sammy?” Dean asked as he crawled up onto their bed. “I know I’m so awesome you can’t be without me, but did you really have to beat up three of them to get noticed?”
Sam could hear the teasing in his voice and he relaxed a little at that. “You know me, always like attention.”
Dean’s fingers were in his hair though and Sam didn’t care how it looked to anyone as he rolled over and pushed his head up under Dean’s chin, burying himself in his brother’s scent, in the comfort of his arms.
“Come on, Sammy,” Dean whispered into his hair. “Sarah said something was really bothering you and we were supposed to take it easy on you, but she wouldn’t say what.”
“Called her my mom,” Sam mumbled into Dean’s chest.
“What? Who?”
“Vice Principal, said my mom was there when Sarah came to get me.” He was barely breathing, afraid his brother was going to push him away for the betrayal. Instead, Dean’s arms tightened around him.
“Look, Sammy, I don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours, but I know Mom wouldn’t want you to be upset about that. She loved you so much, Sammy, and she’d want to know someone was taking care of you. I don’t think-” his voice faltered for a second but he started up immediately, “I don’t think she’d mind if you found someone you wanted to call Mom.”
He felt JC sit down behind him and then the younger boy’s body was pressed against his back, Dean’s arms spreading wider to accommodate them both. “You remember what Bobby always said about family, don’t you, Sam?”
Sam nodded, wishing suddenly that JC had met Bobby. He hadn’t yet but it was only a matter of time before they found themselves in South Dakota. “Family don’t end with blood,” he whispered just loud enough for the other two to hear him.
JC’s hand tightened around his waist and if Sam didn’t need Dean so much in that moment he’d be turning to wrap himself around the eleven year old.
“That’s right. But even if it weren’t true, I figure we’ve all spilt enough blood together in the last year to make it true anyway.”
He felt the slight shiver from JC and Sam decided to hell with it. Dean was right and they were family now, which meant Sam had to live up to the image of big brother. He turned over and pulled JC close, but even as he did so he felt Dean right up behind him, hands moving slowly down Sam’s arms and over JC’s back. He whispered soft words of comfort to them both.
It was too early to call it a night, but Sam closed his eyes and let himself be lulled to sleep anyway.
On to Part Five
Sam looked up at the Vice Principal as she walked in the room, followed closely by Sarah Reese. He felt tears sting his eyes and though he was sure his face didn’t show his inner turmoil, Sarah’s eyes seemed to hone in on his weakness.
“What happened?” Sarah asked, pulling the Vice Principal’s attention away from Sam, giving him a few moments to collect himself. He didn’t think she understood what upset him but she knew something had and she had been with the Winchester family long enough to know they didn’t like having their emotions played out for anyone.
“There was a fight. To be honest, the few kids that were willing to talk about the incident said Richie Johnson started the fight, but the way he looks I have a hard time believing their version of the story.”
“Why is that?” Sarah demanded. There was nothing timid about Sarah and if the Vice Principal was used to parents coming in and being as intimidated as the students, she was sorely mistaken.
“This is the third time Sam has been-“
“This is the third time Sam has had to defend himself from bullies since we moved here. I think it says something about your staff that bullying has become so prevalent that so many students think they can get away with it.”
“Ms. Winchester, I assure you there were no incidents of bullying before your son came here.”
“Let me see if I understand you correctly,” Sarah said in a level voice. Sam would have cringed if that voice was directed at him because that tone was Sarah when she was about to cut you off at the legs, but the Vice Principal didn’t know that. “Sam has been in three fights in the two weeks he’s been in this school. Every incident has eyewitnesses coming forward to say he was being bullied. You call me to come pick him up, leaving him bruised and still bleeding without letting him see the nurse in that time, and you then accuse him of starting the fights, simply because he gave better than he got?”
The Vice Principal took a step back and Sarah leaned forward. “What you’re saying is I’m here because my boy took care of the bully problem your staff is too ineffective to stop.”
Sarah stood straight then, looking at Sam for the first time since she started talking. “Come on, Sam, we’re leaving.”
“Ms. Winchester-“
“The name is Reese, Sarah Reese. Next time at least get that right before you make the call.”
“Um, Ms. Reese, Sam is not suspended. He will be returned to the classroom now.”
“Like hell he will,” Sarah growled. “I will be making calls in the morning and Sam will be transferred to the High School.”
“I don’t think that’s appropriate.”
“Yeah, and when they tested Sam and suggested we move him up you said the same thing, it would be detrimental to his development to be moved up a grade. We listened to you then and it’s not a mistake I’ll repeat. Sam will be transferred up to the High School and you will do whatever it takes to make it happen. I don’t care if he skips grades or just takes classes there, but it will happen.”
Sarah didn’t give the woman another chance to speak, she simply nodded her head towards Sam who grabbed his back pack and ran out the door ahead of her.
They were both silent as they got in the white jeep, Sam trying to hold back his emotions. His Dad wouldn’t have bothered to try to get Sam moved, he’d have just been proud of him for standing up for himself. If he went to the high school though, Dean would be there. At least Dean would be watching out for him if there were bullies. When Sarah started the jeep up, Sam just held his back pack tight against his chest, staring out the window.
“Sam, are you alright?”
Sarah wasn’t much better about dealing with the emotional stuff than his dad was. Actually, Dean was the only one that really seemed to get him, with JC coming in a close second. In the year JC and Sarah had been with them, he’d become almost as close to Sam as Dean was. It didn’t mean Sarah didn’t try though.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“I know better than to think you’re upset about a fight.”
He didn’t say anything though and Sarah let the silence lengthen between them. It wasn’t until they pulled up in front of their current motel that Sarah finally let out a heavy sigh. “Sam-“
“No one,” he stopped her as he pushed open the door. “I just … no one has ever said my Mom was there before.” He jumped out of the jeep then and scrambled for his key. With the five of them they couldn’t live in one room so John and Sarah stayed in one and the boys took another. It gave him the room to himself and he was grateful he was alone.
He knew it wouldn’t last long. Even if Sarah didn’t try to talk to him, he knew his brother would be home from school soon and Sarah would totally rat him out to Dean.
He threw himself on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Dean wouldn’t understand, not really. Dean remembered Mom, remembered her smile and voice and sometimes he still talked to Sam about her. As much as Dean liked Sarah he would never think of her as a mother. JC might understand this one though. He’d never had a stable life either, his longest stint in one place had been during a two year period where he’d been shuffled from one foster family to another, for reasons Sam still didn’t know. He’d never had a father figure and he looked at John sometimes like he was everything he’d ever wanted, quickly followed by a look of extreme guilt. He didn’t know that story either, but Sam felt that way too sometimes, like he was disrespecting what had happened to his mother by thinking, even for a second, that Sarah could take that role.
He heard the Impala long before the door to their room opened up. He didn’t bother to look, but he heard both Dean and JC’s footsteps on the carpet. Dean must have picked him up on the way home.
“Sammy?” Dean asked as he crawled up onto their bed. “I know I’m so awesome you can’t be without me, but did you really have to beat up three of them to get noticed?”
Sam could hear the teasing in his voice and he relaxed a little at that. “You know me, always like attention.”
Dean’s fingers were in his hair though and Sam didn’t care how it looked to anyone as he rolled over and pushed his head up under Dean’s chin, burying himself in his brother’s scent, in the comfort of his arms.
“Come on, Sammy,” Dean whispered into his hair. “Sarah said something was really bothering you and we were supposed to take it easy on you, but she wouldn’t say what.”
“Called her my mom,” Sam mumbled into Dean’s chest.
“What? Who?”
“Vice Principal, said my mom was there when Sarah came to get me.” He was barely breathing, afraid his brother was going to push him away for the betrayal. Instead, Dean’s arms tightened around him.
“Look, Sammy, I don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours, but I know Mom wouldn’t want you to be upset about that. She loved you so much, Sammy, and she’d want to know someone was taking care of you. I don’t think-” his voice faltered for a second but he started up immediately, “I don’t think she’d mind if you found someone you wanted to call Mom.”
He felt JC sit down behind him and then the younger boy’s body was pressed against his back, Dean’s arms spreading wider to accommodate them both. “You remember what Bobby always said about family, don’t you, Sam?”
Sam nodded, wishing suddenly that JC had met Bobby. He hadn’t yet but it was only a matter of time before they found themselves in South Dakota. “Family don’t end with blood,” he whispered just loud enough for the other two to hear him.
JC’s hand tightened around his waist and if Sam didn’t need Dean so much in that moment he’d be turning to wrap himself around the eleven year old.
“That’s right. But even if it weren’t true, I figure we’ve all spilt enough blood together in the last year to make it true anyway.”
He felt the slight shiver from JC and Sam decided to hell with it. Dean was right and they were family now, which meant Sam had to live up to the image of big brother. He turned over and pulled JC close, but even as he did so he felt Dean right up behind him, hands moving slowly down Sam’s arms and over JC’s back. He whispered soft words of comfort to them both.
It was too early to call it a night, but Sam closed his eyes and let himself be lulled to sleep anyway.
On to Part Five