Brothers in Arms (Power Rangers/Supernatural Crossover, K)
I'm bored and tired but not sleepy, and I ran out of Mike&Leo sibling fluff to read before I was done being in the mood for it. So I went through my old story files, and dug up this.
Brothers in Arms (Power Rangers/Supernatural Crossover, K)
Fandom/: Power Rangers Lost Galaxy/Supernatural crossover, pre-series
Rating/: K
Disclaimer/: I don't own anybody. I just stare longingly.
Summary/: Leo never thought he'd meet someone who knew what it was like to have a Mike - until the day he did.
Warnings/: Language, kids getting beaten up, kinda OOC at points
Author's Notes/: While designing my family backgrounds for Leo and Mike, it became firmly embedded in my head somehow that Leo and Sam were friends when they were kids. That evolved into this, and I ran with it for awhile. Other than MiniLeo and WeeSammy cuteness and lots of brotherly affection, I have no idea where I'm going with it or if it should be continued. Feel free to make suggestions and/or requests.
My version of Leo and Mike may make slightly more sense if you've ever read Stars Untouched. It's not necessary, though.
Ages: Mike-16, Dean-13, Leo-12, Sam-9
Unbeta'd, 'cause I'm distracted and lazy.
Leo had never been sure what it was exactly that made him take the long way home that day. He told himself it was because he just wanted to piss off Mike some more. It was his usual excuse, and the one he gave Mike later - though not in so many words. But in reality ... he just found his feet going another way.
He never claimed to have any special 'abilities', the way Mike liked to say their mom did. Point of fact, he'd be the first to swear it was all just a bunch of crap. But that one day, as he walked along a road he never took, and found himself glancing down a street he shouldn't have cared about, he almost wondered.
It was easy to see guess that the huddled form the three teens were gathered around was in pain, and from the gleeful looks on their faces, they weren't about to be the first to put an end to it. And no matter how much trouble he got into, there was more of Mike's honor instilled in Leo than he wanted to admit.
"Hey!" he shouted furiously. "Leave 'im alone!"
Two of the trio looked up, one of them sneering at him. The third continued to kick viciously at whatever they were after. "Keep walking, runt," one advised him warningly.
Leo never listened when someone told him what to do. He clenched his fists, moving closer. "I *said*, leave him alone," he growled.
"Aw, it's a two for one special," the second purred, still grinning eerily.
"I'll give you a special," Leo snapped. He charged, ducking to one side, and spun around to kick the back of the first guy's knees. From there he grabbed the third by the arm as he finally looked up, throwing him against the wall of the opposite building as hard as he could. He moved protectively in between the goons and whatever they'd been abusing, raising his fists and settling onto his back leg as he waited for them to make a move.
Two of them moved forward, but the first suddenly froze, throwing a hand out in front of them. "Shit, it's Corbett's Baby," he hissed. He glanced at his friends. "Forget it. We don't wanna end up like Walker and Damien."
The second guy's eyes widened. "Corbett's Baby? Fuck this. I'm out of here."
The third was hesitating, but the first was already drawing him away. "Forget it, man," he insisted. "It's not worth what Corbett will do to you. Trust me."
"You got lucky today, shortstack," the third guy muttered at last, glaring past Leo. But he let his friends pull him along as they made a hasty retreat.
Leo stayed where he was, lowering his fists slowly as he trembled in fury. 'Corbett's Brother'. 'Mike's Kid'. 'Corbett's Baby'. No matter where he went, what he did, or how he tried to make a name for himself, Mike hung over him like a shadow, making it impossible for anyone to take him seriously. Because they were all afraid of what 'Mommy Corbett' would do to them.
Letting out a slow breath, he turned to face the huddled ball at his feet. "You okay?" he asked finally.
One watery hazel eye peered out at him from beneath wild brown hair, just over a dirty arm. The brown mop nodded once, slowly.
"I'm Leo," he offered, crouching down in front of him. Poor midget was probably scared out of his mind. "You hurt anywhere? Can you walk?"
" ... I can walk," came a soft voice after a long pause. There was a quiet sniff, and an arm brushed carefully across his face, at last revealing a darkening eye and a painful looking red mark on his jaw. "M' Sammy," the kid said finally, watching him solemnly.
Leo stood, holding out a hand. The kid hesitated for a moment before taking it and allowing himself to be pulled up. It gave Leo the chance to look him over for more damage. The kid was definitely going to be bruised, and his nose was bleeding spectacularly in addition to what would soon be a black eye, but he *seemed* okay. He was dressed in slightly large hand-me-down clothing that definitely seen better days, and his hair looked like he'd gone through a dryer. But he raised his chin up to Leo directly in the eyes without a trace of fear, despite the right arm held carefully against his side.
Leo liked him instantly.
"How's your ribs?" he asked after a pause.
"Just bruised," Sammy answered quietly. "I'll be all right." He sniffed again, reaching up to try and brush his nose again. He blanched when it came away bloody, muttering a curse under his breath. "Dean's not gonna like this," he sighed to himself, trying to pinch his nose shut.
"Who's Dean?"
Sammy seemed to hesitate. "My big brother."
"I've got one of those. Fusses over me all the time, too," Leo muttered irritably.
For some reason, that made Sammy smile a little. "So does Dean."
Leo glanced at him, tilting his head as he smirked a little. "Thinks he's my mom more than my brother."
"Definitely," Sammy giggled.
Leo grinned, offering his left hand, since Sammy was currently using his right to hold his nose. "Nice t' meet you, Sammy. How 'bout I take you home with me and see if I can sneak out something to clean you up before you gotta go?"
Sammy frowned a little. "But Dean'll get worried if I'm any later ... "
"He's gonna freak if he sees the way you look right now," Leo pointed out.
Sammy sighed. "Yeah." He glanced up, seeming suddenly shy. "Thanks, Leo."
"Don't worry about it." Leo brushed it off absently. "Us smothered little brothers have to stick together."
Sammy grinned, revealing a gap-toothed smile. "Right!"
****
Sneaking the first-aid kit out of the house was disturbingly easy for once. Leo didn't like easy; it made him nervous. But he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He made his way to the bushes in the backyard he'd hidden Sammy in. "It's me," he whispered.
Sammy looked up miserably as he ducked through the branches to join him. The bleeding had finally slowed, but his face was streaked with red, and some of it had gotten on the sleeve of his jacket. "There's no way I c'n hide this from Dean now ... "
Leo frowned a little as he reached for the antiseptic wipes. "Hold it when you go in, and tuck the sleeve under," he advised. "Then take it into the bathroom soon as you can and scrub it under cold water. That's the only way to get the blood out."
Sammy frowned, but he didn't so much as twitch when Leo began to clean his face. "You got experience?"
Leo paused, closing his eyes for a moment. "Yeah," he muttered finally.
Sammy hesitated like he wanted to say more, but he seemed smart enough to keep his mouth shut. Instead he glanced down at the kit and blinked. "What's all that?"
Leo flushed in embarrassment. "Um ... Just some herbs and stuff," he mumbled. "My brother's into uh, natural healing."
"Your brother's also not stupid enough to not know when you're sneaking out of the house."
He jumped, spinning wildly. Sammy scrambled back in alarm. Both boys stared up at the dark figure leaning over the bushes, flashlight in hand.
Leo forced an irritated sigh. "Damn it, Mike! You scared me," he grumbled, trying to calm his racing heart.
"Watch your mouth, Leo," came the calm reply. "What happened? You okay?"
He rolled his eyes at Sammy, who stifled a giggle. "I'm fine," he retorted. "I was just helping Sammy clean up his nose before he goes home."
"And you couldn't do this inside?" The bushes parted as Mike leaned in closer to get a better look at them. He paused, eyes widening. "That looks like more than a bloody nose, Leo," he said softly. His eyes flickered to his brother in concern and reproach.
"I'm okay," Sammy spoke up quickly. "I just didn' want my brother to worry. S'not Leo's fault."
Mike sighed, favoring them both with a look. "It's a brother's job to worry," he told them. "And Leo should have let me know you needed help. Come on inside, and I'll help you get cleaned up while you call someone to come get you."
"You don't have to do that," Sammy said quickly. "I live just over there." He pointed at the house two doors down.
Leo was mildly surprised. Sammy had said they'd just moved into the neighborhood, and he remembered seeing a car parked at that house for awhile. He hadn't realize he lived *that* close.
"Then I'll walk you home after we're done," Mike said calmly. "Your family's probably worried about you."
"I - " Sammy hesitated again, his eyes flickering to Leo's. Leo shrugged guiltily in response, knowing Mike wouldn't just let him go, and Sammy's shoulders slumped a little. "Okay," he said quietly.
"Come on, Sammy," Leo encouraged softly, helping him up. Great. The poor guy was gonna get in trouble now because of him. "Mike's good at making people feel better."
Sammy smiled a little. "So's Dean."
Leo shrugged lightly, wishing Mike wasn't standing right behind him. "Big brother's are good at that, I guess." He leaned in to whisper in Sammy's ear. "So are mommies."
Sammy burst into giggles, trying to cover his mouth with his hands.
"I heard that, Leo," Mike warned behind them. But there was amusement in his tone, and Leo knew he'd never get lectured in front of a stranger. Especially a little kid who was obviously scared as it was.
They were soon gathered at the kitchen table, Sammy and Leo each with a glass of Mike's special herbal tea and a plate of cookies as Mike carefully cleaned up Sammy. Sammy paused to sniff at his drink, glancing at Leo. "What is this?"
"Herbal tea," Mike spoke up. "Our mom's recipe. It'll make you feel better."
"Still say chocolate milk would work better," Leo muttered, even as he took a long drink. He loved Mike's teas, but he'd never admit it.
"Sugar doesn't make you feel better Leo, no matter how many times you want to argue," Mike sighed, handing a towel to Sammy. "Here. Hold that on your eye for awhile."
Sammy took a hesitant sip, brightening immediately. "This is really good!"
"Glad to know someone appreciates it," Mike told him with a smile, shooting Leo another look that he pretended not to see.
The sudden knock on the door made them all tense up, and no one missed the fact that the others were doing it too. Leo glanced at Sammy, who's eyes had flickered around the room instinctively. He glanced at Mike, and found his brother frowning at the door. "You two stay here," Mike said finally. "I'll get it."
His hand reached out to latch onto his older brother's wrist before he realized what he was doing. "Mike ... "
Mike turned, his eyes softening the way they always did when Leo admitted he was scared. "Don't worry, Leo. I'll take care of it."
Leo swallowed hard. "But what if it's - "
"I'll take care of it," Mike repeated. He leaned down in front of him, reaching up to put a hand on Leo's hair as he ignored another knock. "No one's taking you away from me," he said softly. "I promise."
Blinking hard, Leo forced himself to nod and wished he wasn't such a baby.
Sammy tensed as Mike went to the living room, setting down his glass. His eyes flickered to the back door again.
"You okay?" Leo asked quietly.
Sammy started, glancing at him guiltily. "Yeah," he said after a moment. "I just ... I, um ... "
"I don't like strangers at the door either," Leo confessed softly. It was more than he'd ever said to anyone.
Sammy stared at him. There was a tortured look in his eyes, and Leo reached across the table to give the other boy's hand a quick squeeze. Sammy managed a weak smile in response.
"Sammy?!"
Sammy's head came up. "Dean?"
The teen was through the door and wrapped around Sammy before Leo could so much as blink. "Thank god," he murmured. He pulled away, his hands framing Sammy's face as he forced the younger boy to meet his eyes. "Are you okay?"
Sammy nodded. "I'm all right."
He was crushed in another hug before Dean released him again, glaring at him now. "Where the hell have you been?! You were supposed to be home hours ago!"
"M'sorry," Sammy whispered, staring at the floor miserably.
"It's my fault," Leo said quickly. "I made him come home with me."
Dean's head came up, and Leo found himself being assessed by the coldest eyes he'd ever seen. "Sammy, you know when you're supposed to be home," he said eventually, his gaze finally flickering back to his brother.
"Sorry about that," Mike spoke up as he finally joined them. He moved to stand beside Leo, glancing down at him as he put a hand on his chair. "I was planning on having him call you as soon as we were finished, but I wanted to make sure we took care of that bloody nose first."
Dean's eyes narrowed as he took in the darkening skin around Sammy's eye. "What happened? Who hit you?"
Sammy shook his head, ducking it down to stare at the floor again. "S'nothin'," he murmured.
"Sammy."
Sammy winced, biting his lip as his feet kicked back and forth under his chair. "I um, got lost on my way home."
Dean leaned back to kneel on the floor, watching him. "Nice try, kiddo. Wanna go over that one more time?"
Sammy's gaze remained stubbornly on the floor.
Mike sighed. "Leo?"
Leo hesitated, his eyes flickering to Sammy. If Sammy didn't want to tell, maybe there was a reason ... "Nothing happened," he said finally. "I just found him on my way home. I think he fell or somethin'."
"Fell?" Mike crouched down, staring into his face with open skepticism. "That's a pretty bad 'fall', Leo. Did you fall, too?"
"No," he said quickly, not wanting Mike to think he had to beat anyone up for him. "I just ... helped him up s'all."
"When he fell," Mike repeated, still staring.
He nodded, trying to keep from fidgeting. "Yup."
There was a long sigh, and Mike ruffled his hair. "You're a lousy liar, Leo," he was informed. Then he stood, turning to look at Dean. "I have a few ideas of who it might have been. I can take care of it."
Dean shook his head immediately. "My brother, my problem," he said flatly.
"Okay," Mike agreed easily. "But I'll have to figure out which group it was first. There's a few in this part of town to watch out for."
Dean studied him warily. "You sound like you'd know something about that."
Mike laughed outright, and Leo took another drink of his tea to hide a smile as he watched him. "Yeah, but not for the reasons you'd think. I spend most of my time trying to keep them away from Leo and the other kids."
Some of the tension slipped from Dean's shoulders, and he nodded a little after a moment. "I'd appreciate it. Thanks."
"Dean, you don' have to," Sammy protested, reaching up to tug pleadingly on his older brother's hand.
Dean glanced down at him with a look that silenced the younger boy immediately, ignoring Sammy's quiet resigned sigh as he looked up at Mike again. "Thanks for cleaning him up. I appreciate it."
"It's not a problem," Mike promised.
"Come on, Sammy. We'd better get home," Dean informed his brother, reaching out to take his hand.
Sammy sighed again as he climbed to his feet, and Leo sympathized. "Thank you for your help, Mike," he said quietly, looking up solemnly. Then his eyes flickered to Leo, and he actually smiled a little. "Thanks, Leo."
"Sure," he returned easily, leaning back in his chair as if it didn't matter. He flashed a devil-may-care grin that he knew Mike hated but Sammy would probably appreciate. "Anytime."
Mike gave him a look, but smiled pleasantly as he showed them to the door. "We'll see you around, then."
"Yeah, maybe," Dean muttered, not really looking at him.
Leo frowned at the implication, scrambling up and out of his chair to lean past Mike and wave out the doorway after them. "See ya later, Sammy!"
Sammy glanced back, his smile widening. "Bye, Leo!"
He watched them head down the street before he finally allowed Mike to close the door, leaning against the wall with a sigh.
"So where'd they get you?" his brother asked after a pause.
He sighed, rolling his eyes. "They didn't."
"Oh, that's right. Sammy 'fell'," Mike teased.
Something about the tone set him on edge, and he glared up at him. "Nobody touched me, okay?" he snapped. "They were too afraid of hurting 'Corbett's Baby'. I'm fine, so you can just forget about it." He whirled, storming off to his room.
"Leo - "
He stopped in the door, turning to glare back. "What?"
Mike sighed quietly, and the fight seemed to drain out of him. "Don't ignore your homework," he murmured finally.
"Whatever," Leo muttered, slamming the door behind him.
He threw himself on the bed, shoulders hitching a moment later. How was he ever supposed to take care of himself if Mike was always protecting him? If he couldn't fight his own battles, what was he supposed to do when Mike was gone?
Because Mike *would* be gone. He was sure of that. Now that he'd grown up, he knew it wouldn't be because of him - no matter what Michael had said. No, Mike was going to leave because he was smart, and strong, and the best person anybody would ever meet. He could go places.
Places where his dumb, trouble-making little brother wouldn't be able to go. And if he didn't push Mike away now, he'd never leave. Because Mike wouldn't go if he thought Leo wanted him to stay.
Which he did. He missed being able to crawl into his big brother's lap after a bad day for a hug. He missed watching the stars together, or seeing Mike look so proud when he gave him something he'd made in school. He liked Mike fussing over him. It made him feel needed. Wanted.
But Mike had a future. Everybody said so. And his future didn't need a whiny jinx of a baby brother in it.
Sniffling as he tried to muffle the sound against his pillow, Leo silently vowed to make sure of it.
Brothers in Arms (Power Rangers/Supernatural Crossover, K)
Fandom/: Power Rangers Lost Galaxy/Supernatural crossover, pre-series
Rating/: K
Disclaimer/: I don't own anybody. I just stare longingly.
Summary/: Leo never thought he'd meet someone who knew what it was like to have a Mike - until the day he did.
Warnings/: Language, kids getting beaten up, kinda OOC at points
Author's Notes/: While designing my family backgrounds for Leo and Mike, it became firmly embedded in my head somehow that Leo and Sam were friends when they were kids. That evolved into this, and I ran with it for awhile. Other than MiniLeo and WeeSammy cuteness and lots of brotherly affection, I have no idea where I'm going with it or if it should be continued. Feel free to make suggestions and/or requests.
My version of Leo and Mike may make slightly more sense if you've ever read Stars Untouched. It's not necessary, though.
Ages: Mike-16, Dean-13, Leo-12, Sam-9
Unbeta'd, 'cause I'm distracted and lazy.
Leo had never been sure what it was exactly that made him take the long way home that day. He told himself it was because he just wanted to piss off Mike some more. It was his usual excuse, and the one he gave Mike later - though not in so many words. But in reality ... he just found his feet going another way.
He never claimed to have any special 'abilities', the way Mike liked to say their mom did. Point of fact, he'd be the first to swear it was all just a bunch of crap. But that one day, as he walked along a road he never took, and found himself glancing down a street he shouldn't have cared about, he almost wondered.
It was easy to see guess that the huddled form the three teens were gathered around was in pain, and from the gleeful looks on their faces, they weren't about to be the first to put an end to it. And no matter how much trouble he got into, there was more of Mike's honor instilled in Leo than he wanted to admit.
"Hey!" he shouted furiously. "Leave 'im alone!"
Two of the trio looked up, one of them sneering at him. The third continued to kick viciously at whatever they were after. "Keep walking, runt," one advised him warningly.
Leo never listened when someone told him what to do. He clenched his fists, moving closer. "I *said*, leave him alone," he growled.
"Aw, it's a two for one special," the second purred, still grinning eerily.
"I'll give you a special," Leo snapped. He charged, ducking to one side, and spun around to kick the back of the first guy's knees. From there he grabbed the third by the arm as he finally looked up, throwing him against the wall of the opposite building as hard as he could. He moved protectively in between the goons and whatever they'd been abusing, raising his fists and settling onto his back leg as he waited for them to make a move.
Two of them moved forward, but the first suddenly froze, throwing a hand out in front of them. "Shit, it's Corbett's Baby," he hissed. He glanced at his friends. "Forget it. We don't wanna end up like Walker and Damien."
The second guy's eyes widened. "Corbett's Baby? Fuck this. I'm out of here."
The third was hesitating, but the first was already drawing him away. "Forget it, man," he insisted. "It's not worth what Corbett will do to you. Trust me."
"You got lucky today, shortstack," the third guy muttered at last, glaring past Leo. But he let his friends pull him along as they made a hasty retreat.
Leo stayed where he was, lowering his fists slowly as he trembled in fury. 'Corbett's Brother'. 'Mike's Kid'. 'Corbett's Baby'. No matter where he went, what he did, or how he tried to make a name for himself, Mike hung over him like a shadow, making it impossible for anyone to take him seriously. Because they were all afraid of what 'Mommy Corbett' would do to them.
Letting out a slow breath, he turned to face the huddled ball at his feet. "You okay?" he asked finally.
One watery hazel eye peered out at him from beneath wild brown hair, just over a dirty arm. The brown mop nodded once, slowly.
"I'm Leo," he offered, crouching down in front of him. Poor midget was probably scared out of his mind. "You hurt anywhere? Can you walk?"
" ... I can walk," came a soft voice after a long pause. There was a quiet sniff, and an arm brushed carefully across his face, at last revealing a darkening eye and a painful looking red mark on his jaw. "M' Sammy," the kid said finally, watching him solemnly.
Leo stood, holding out a hand. The kid hesitated for a moment before taking it and allowing himself to be pulled up. It gave Leo the chance to look him over for more damage. The kid was definitely going to be bruised, and his nose was bleeding spectacularly in addition to what would soon be a black eye, but he *seemed* okay. He was dressed in slightly large hand-me-down clothing that definitely seen better days, and his hair looked like he'd gone through a dryer. But he raised his chin up to Leo directly in the eyes without a trace of fear, despite the right arm held carefully against his side.
Leo liked him instantly.
"How's your ribs?" he asked after a pause.
"Just bruised," Sammy answered quietly. "I'll be all right." He sniffed again, reaching up to try and brush his nose again. He blanched when it came away bloody, muttering a curse under his breath. "Dean's not gonna like this," he sighed to himself, trying to pinch his nose shut.
"Who's Dean?"
Sammy seemed to hesitate. "My big brother."
"I've got one of those. Fusses over me all the time, too," Leo muttered irritably.
For some reason, that made Sammy smile a little. "So does Dean."
Leo glanced at him, tilting his head as he smirked a little. "Thinks he's my mom more than my brother."
"Definitely," Sammy giggled.
Leo grinned, offering his left hand, since Sammy was currently using his right to hold his nose. "Nice t' meet you, Sammy. How 'bout I take you home with me and see if I can sneak out something to clean you up before you gotta go?"
Sammy frowned a little. "But Dean'll get worried if I'm any later ... "
"He's gonna freak if he sees the way you look right now," Leo pointed out.
Sammy sighed. "Yeah." He glanced up, seeming suddenly shy. "Thanks, Leo."
"Don't worry about it." Leo brushed it off absently. "Us smothered little brothers have to stick together."
Sammy grinned, revealing a gap-toothed smile. "Right!"
****
Sneaking the first-aid kit out of the house was disturbingly easy for once. Leo didn't like easy; it made him nervous. But he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He made his way to the bushes in the backyard he'd hidden Sammy in. "It's me," he whispered.
Sammy looked up miserably as he ducked through the branches to join him. The bleeding had finally slowed, but his face was streaked with red, and some of it had gotten on the sleeve of his jacket. "There's no way I c'n hide this from Dean now ... "
Leo frowned a little as he reached for the antiseptic wipes. "Hold it when you go in, and tuck the sleeve under," he advised. "Then take it into the bathroom soon as you can and scrub it under cold water. That's the only way to get the blood out."
Sammy frowned, but he didn't so much as twitch when Leo began to clean his face. "You got experience?"
Leo paused, closing his eyes for a moment. "Yeah," he muttered finally.
Sammy hesitated like he wanted to say more, but he seemed smart enough to keep his mouth shut. Instead he glanced down at the kit and blinked. "What's all that?"
Leo flushed in embarrassment. "Um ... Just some herbs and stuff," he mumbled. "My brother's into uh, natural healing."
"Your brother's also not stupid enough to not know when you're sneaking out of the house."
He jumped, spinning wildly. Sammy scrambled back in alarm. Both boys stared up at the dark figure leaning over the bushes, flashlight in hand.
Leo forced an irritated sigh. "Damn it, Mike! You scared me," he grumbled, trying to calm his racing heart.
"Watch your mouth, Leo," came the calm reply. "What happened? You okay?"
He rolled his eyes at Sammy, who stifled a giggle. "I'm fine," he retorted. "I was just helping Sammy clean up his nose before he goes home."
"And you couldn't do this inside?" The bushes parted as Mike leaned in closer to get a better look at them. He paused, eyes widening. "That looks like more than a bloody nose, Leo," he said softly. His eyes flickered to his brother in concern and reproach.
"I'm okay," Sammy spoke up quickly. "I just didn' want my brother to worry. S'not Leo's fault."
Mike sighed, favoring them both with a look. "It's a brother's job to worry," he told them. "And Leo should have let me know you needed help. Come on inside, and I'll help you get cleaned up while you call someone to come get you."
"You don't have to do that," Sammy said quickly. "I live just over there." He pointed at the house two doors down.
Leo was mildly surprised. Sammy had said they'd just moved into the neighborhood, and he remembered seeing a car parked at that house for awhile. He hadn't realize he lived *that* close.
"Then I'll walk you home after we're done," Mike said calmly. "Your family's probably worried about you."
"I - " Sammy hesitated again, his eyes flickering to Leo's. Leo shrugged guiltily in response, knowing Mike wouldn't just let him go, and Sammy's shoulders slumped a little. "Okay," he said quietly.
"Come on, Sammy," Leo encouraged softly, helping him up. Great. The poor guy was gonna get in trouble now because of him. "Mike's good at making people feel better."
Sammy smiled a little. "So's Dean."
Leo shrugged lightly, wishing Mike wasn't standing right behind him. "Big brother's are good at that, I guess." He leaned in to whisper in Sammy's ear. "So are mommies."
Sammy burst into giggles, trying to cover his mouth with his hands.
"I heard that, Leo," Mike warned behind them. But there was amusement in his tone, and Leo knew he'd never get lectured in front of a stranger. Especially a little kid who was obviously scared as it was.
They were soon gathered at the kitchen table, Sammy and Leo each with a glass of Mike's special herbal tea and a plate of cookies as Mike carefully cleaned up Sammy. Sammy paused to sniff at his drink, glancing at Leo. "What is this?"
"Herbal tea," Mike spoke up. "Our mom's recipe. It'll make you feel better."
"Still say chocolate milk would work better," Leo muttered, even as he took a long drink. He loved Mike's teas, but he'd never admit it.
"Sugar doesn't make you feel better Leo, no matter how many times you want to argue," Mike sighed, handing a towel to Sammy. "Here. Hold that on your eye for awhile."
Sammy took a hesitant sip, brightening immediately. "This is really good!"
"Glad to know someone appreciates it," Mike told him with a smile, shooting Leo another look that he pretended not to see.
The sudden knock on the door made them all tense up, and no one missed the fact that the others were doing it too. Leo glanced at Sammy, who's eyes had flickered around the room instinctively. He glanced at Mike, and found his brother frowning at the door. "You two stay here," Mike said finally. "I'll get it."
His hand reached out to latch onto his older brother's wrist before he realized what he was doing. "Mike ... "
Mike turned, his eyes softening the way they always did when Leo admitted he was scared. "Don't worry, Leo. I'll take care of it."
Leo swallowed hard. "But what if it's - "
"I'll take care of it," Mike repeated. He leaned down in front of him, reaching up to put a hand on Leo's hair as he ignored another knock. "No one's taking you away from me," he said softly. "I promise."
Blinking hard, Leo forced himself to nod and wished he wasn't such a baby.
Sammy tensed as Mike went to the living room, setting down his glass. His eyes flickered to the back door again.
"You okay?" Leo asked quietly.
Sammy started, glancing at him guiltily. "Yeah," he said after a moment. "I just ... I, um ... "
"I don't like strangers at the door either," Leo confessed softly. It was more than he'd ever said to anyone.
Sammy stared at him. There was a tortured look in his eyes, and Leo reached across the table to give the other boy's hand a quick squeeze. Sammy managed a weak smile in response.
"Sammy?!"
Sammy's head came up. "Dean?"
The teen was through the door and wrapped around Sammy before Leo could so much as blink. "Thank god," he murmured. He pulled away, his hands framing Sammy's face as he forced the younger boy to meet his eyes. "Are you okay?"
Sammy nodded. "I'm all right."
He was crushed in another hug before Dean released him again, glaring at him now. "Where the hell have you been?! You were supposed to be home hours ago!"
"M'sorry," Sammy whispered, staring at the floor miserably.
"It's my fault," Leo said quickly. "I made him come home with me."
Dean's head came up, and Leo found himself being assessed by the coldest eyes he'd ever seen. "Sammy, you know when you're supposed to be home," he said eventually, his gaze finally flickering back to his brother.
"Sorry about that," Mike spoke up as he finally joined them. He moved to stand beside Leo, glancing down at him as he put a hand on his chair. "I was planning on having him call you as soon as we were finished, but I wanted to make sure we took care of that bloody nose first."
Dean's eyes narrowed as he took in the darkening skin around Sammy's eye. "What happened? Who hit you?"
Sammy shook his head, ducking it down to stare at the floor again. "S'nothin'," he murmured.
"Sammy."
Sammy winced, biting his lip as his feet kicked back and forth under his chair. "I um, got lost on my way home."
Dean leaned back to kneel on the floor, watching him. "Nice try, kiddo. Wanna go over that one more time?"
Sammy's gaze remained stubbornly on the floor.
Mike sighed. "Leo?"
Leo hesitated, his eyes flickering to Sammy. If Sammy didn't want to tell, maybe there was a reason ... "Nothing happened," he said finally. "I just found him on my way home. I think he fell or somethin'."
"Fell?" Mike crouched down, staring into his face with open skepticism. "That's a pretty bad 'fall', Leo. Did you fall, too?"
"No," he said quickly, not wanting Mike to think he had to beat anyone up for him. "I just ... helped him up s'all."
"When he fell," Mike repeated, still staring.
He nodded, trying to keep from fidgeting. "Yup."
There was a long sigh, and Mike ruffled his hair. "You're a lousy liar, Leo," he was informed. Then he stood, turning to look at Dean. "I have a few ideas of who it might have been. I can take care of it."
Dean shook his head immediately. "My brother, my problem," he said flatly.
"Okay," Mike agreed easily. "But I'll have to figure out which group it was first. There's a few in this part of town to watch out for."
Dean studied him warily. "You sound like you'd know something about that."
Mike laughed outright, and Leo took another drink of his tea to hide a smile as he watched him. "Yeah, but not for the reasons you'd think. I spend most of my time trying to keep them away from Leo and the other kids."
Some of the tension slipped from Dean's shoulders, and he nodded a little after a moment. "I'd appreciate it. Thanks."
"Dean, you don' have to," Sammy protested, reaching up to tug pleadingly on his older brother's hand.
Dean glanced down at him with a look that silenced the younger boy immediately, ignoring Sammy's quiet resigned sigh as he looked up at Mike again. "Thanks for cleaning him up. I appreciate it."
"It's not a problem," Mike promised.
"Come on, Sammy. We'd better get home," Dean informed his brother, reaching out to take his hand.
Sammy sighed again as he climbed to his feet, and Leo sympathized. "Thank you for your help, Mike," he said quietly, looking up solemnly. Then his eyes flickered to Leo, and he actually smiled a little. "Thanks, Leo."
"Sure," he returned easily, leaning back in his chair as if it didn't matter. He flashed a devil-may-care grin that he knew Mike hated but Sammy would probably appreciate. "Anytime."
Mike gave him a look, but smiled pleasantly as he showed them to the door. "We'll see you around, then."
"Yeah, maybe," Dean muttered, not really looking at him.
Leo frowned at the implication, scrambling up and out of his chair to lean past Mike and wave out the doorway after them. "See ya later, Sammy!"
Sammy glanced back, his smile widening. "Bye, Leo!"
He watched them head down the street before he finally allowed Mike to close the door, leaning against the wall with a sigh.
"So where'd they get you?" his brother asked after a pause.
He sighed, rolling his eyes. "They didn't."
"Oh, that's right. Sammy 'fell'," Mike teased.
Something about the tone set him on edge, and he glared up at him. "Nobody touched me, okay?" he snapped. "They were too afraid of hurting 'Corbett's Baby'. I'm fine, so you can just forget about it." He whirled, storming off to his room.
"Leo - "
He stopped in the door, turning to glare back. "What?"
Mike sighed quietly, and the fight seemed to drain out of him. "Don't ignore your homework," he murmured finally.
"Whatever," Leo muttered, slamming the door behind him.
He threw himself on the bed, shoulders hitching a moment later. How was he ever supposed to take care of himself if Mike was always protecting him? If he couldn't fight his own battles, what was he supposed to do when Mike was gone?
Because Mike *would* be gone. He was sure of that. Now that he'd grown up, he knew it wouldn't be because of him - no matter what Michael had said. No, Mike was going to leave because he was smart, and strong, and the best person anybody would ever meet. He could go places.
Places where his dumb, trouble-making little brother wouldn't be able to go. And if he didn't push Mike away now, he'd never leave. Because Mike wouldn't go if he thought Leo wanted him to stay.
Which he did. He missed being able to crawl into his big brother's lap after a bad day for a hug. He missed watching the stars together, or seeing Mike look so proud when he gave him something he'd made in school. He liked Mike fussing over him. It made him feel needed. Wanted.
But Mike had a future. Everybody said so. And his future didn't need a whiny jinx of a baby brother in it.
Sniffling as he tried to muffle the sound against his pillow, Leo silently vowed to make sure of it.