SPN/J2 BB: Family of Choice 1/6
“Sammy?” A voice called out softly. Sam backtracked from where he'd been heading to the kitchen, and poked his head into his little sister's room.
“What's up, angel? Can't sleep?”
Green eyes - Dean's eyes, but in a softer face - stared back at him from the bed as Marie shook her head.
“I had the nightmare again. It's scary.”
Sam quickly went over to his sister's bed and sat down, allowing her to curl into his side. The tiny girl was prone to night terrors, but just like Dean was stubborn about seeking help. She'd lap up any comfort that went to her, though, and Sam was always willing to give her as many cuddles as she wanted.
“It's still pretty early,” Sam commented. “You want a story to help you go back to sleep?”
“Yeah,” Marie nodded firmly. “Need Blue Bunny first.”
With a smile, Sam quickly fetched Marie favourite toy from where it had fallen off the end of the bed and returned it to her. They curled up together, Sam providing a shield from the world.
“What story do you want?”
Marie thought for a moment before responding.
“Tell me about how my parents met.”
Sam smiled. That was one of his favourites too. Just as he was about to start, Dean came in and sat on the end of the bed as well. He handed over mugs of hot chocolate, and Sam realised he must have overheard them before.
“Go on,” Dean grinned at him. “Tell us a story.”
“Once upon a time...”
“Dude, it wasn't a fairy tale.”
“It was if I say it was. Stop interrupting.”
“Whatever.”
“As I was saying... once upon a time, there were two young boys who were looking for their father. He hunted monsters, and the two were worried when he stopped calling them. The elder decided, when they were low on money, to settle down in one place for a while. It would give them time to enjoy just being brothers, and for the pair to have some uninterrupted schooling...”
~*~
Part One
~*~
Dean smiled as he watched Sam running around the back yard, kicking a soccer ball. It was a hobby that Dean did his best to encourage, since it made the boy happy and helped him to make friends. The pair were staying in a mid-sized town for now, having run out of money to keep going after John had disappeared. A part of Dean actually hoped that their father would stay gone, since Sam seemed so excited at the prospect of staying in one town for the rest of the school year. He hadn't really told Sam that John was missing, since he wasn't sure what the boy's reaction would be, and they were both enjoying the prospect of a proper family life. If only for a few months until the school year ended and Dean could scrape together the funds to move on again.
“Dean!” Sam shouted then, drawing Dean out of his musing. “C'mon, play with me!”
“Sorry kiddo,” Dean glanced down at his watch. “We gotta head to school soon. Don't want to draw attention on the first day.”
“Okay!”
Dean couldn't keep the fond smile off of his face, not here where there was no one but Sam to see. Sam was the only twelve year old he knew who actually enjoyed school. Still, it meant that neither of them ever got in trouble for not doing school work, since Sam would lecture Dean until he did his homework and helped Sam with his.
The short walk to school was spent with Sam babbling a mile a minute about how he hoped that they'd be studying the same book as at the last school because he was enjoying it, and things like that.
Dean just nodded in the appropriate places, now and then adding a comment to show he wasn't ignoring his brother. He also made a mental note to check out the high school library and see if there were any books that Sam would like. It wasn't like Dean would need to get any for himself - between laying low at school and finding some way of making money to keep them going, he wasn't going to have a whole lot of free time. That thought just depressed him, and Dean tried to shake off the dread of having to find a job. He certainly wasn't looking forward to that.
They arrived at the elementary school where Dean had enrolled his brother the previous week and slowed. His grip on Sam tightened just a little as he surveyed the large amount of people coming and going, people who might try to take Sam away or hurt him.
“I'll be fine,” Sam rolled his eyes, not quite getting the root of Dean's unease. “You always act like we've never been to a new school before, or transferred most of the way through the year.”
“If you say so,” Dean reluctantly let his arm slip from around Sam's shoulders. “You'll meet me out front after school, right? No dawdling.”
“Yes Dad,” Sam laughed and ducked the half-hearted swipe Dean sent him, then headed in.
Dean sighed as he left Sam at the gate before he continued on down the street to the High School building. He couldn't help the unease that always filled him when Sam was out of his sight for more than five minutes, even if he knew his little brother would be fine. The runt loved school and knew how to keep out of trouble. Even better, he knew how to protect himself if trouble found him.
Meanwhile, Dean really didn't see the point in school. He was going to be a hunter like his dad, he didn't need a formal education. Sam, though, was going to go further. All the way to college if Dean had any say in it, no matter what their dad thought about it splitting the family up. The man couldn't really talk when he was the one always disappearing. Sam was really smart, stubborn as hell, and could do anything if he really went for it. It made Dean really proud, even if he did tease Sam for being a bit of a geek.
By the time he wandered into the high school building it was mere seconds before the bell for home class rang, but he didn't bother speeding up. Instead he took his time, eyes passing over the rest of the students to see if any were worth taking the time to pursue. There were a few pretty girls who knew nothing of his reputation, and Dean decided that being here might not be so bad after all.
~*~
“Hi there,” came a voice from behind. Sam turned and smiled at the pretty blonde girl. “My name's Ruby. You're new, you want to sit with me at lunch? Get to know the school a bit?”
“Sure,” Sam nodded. He'd noticed Ruby in his classes, and how the other kids seemed to follow her lead. If for some strange reason she wanted to hang out with him, no way was Sam going to turn her down.
“C'mon,” Ruby tilted her head, indicating down the hall. “Lunchroom's this way. You're going to want to get there as early as you can to get the decent food.”
“I don't need to buy any,” Sam trotted along beside Ruby. He was only about half an inch taller than her, which was kind of annoying, but at least he wasn't the shortest in the class this time. “My big brother makes my lunch every day.”
“Really?” Ruby asked, one eyebrow raising. “You get along with your brother?”
“Yeah, he's awesome,” Sam grinned. “He's a great cook, and he makes the best lunches. Comes up with all sorts of weird things that always taste good.”
“Wow,” Ruby looked really impressed. “That does sound cool. My brother's a real loser.”
“Dean's always taken care of me. Our mom's dead, and our dad's not around much. He's always off working.” It occurred to Sam that he really shouldn't be giving so much away in the first conversation, but there was something about Ruby that made him want to talk, want to impress her.
“My dad always gives me what I want,” Ruby shrugged. “I think he feels bad about divorcing my mom.”
They continued their chatter into the cafeteria, and Sam held Ruby's bag while she bought her lunch. When they were both seated, Sam pulled out the brown bag Dean always put his lunch in, and couldn't help the smile on his face.
“What have you got?” Ruby asked, and Sam pulled out the items.
“Marshmallow sandwich, an apple, and a brownie bar,” Sam said proudly. “It's almost like a tradition. Whenever we switch schools, he makes sure I have an awesome lunch on the first day. Just in case I need a pick me up.”
“That's so cool,” Ruby smiled at him, and Sam's heart gave a funny little flutter. “So... we're going to be friends, aren't we Sam?”
“Sure,” Sam nodded. “I'd like that.”
~*~
On the way to the cafeteria for lunch, Dean walked with some members of the football team. While he wasn't interested in joining, it was handy to be associated with the cool kids. Usually meant that the other kids left him alone or idolised him, and made it that much easier to score with the cheerleaders.
At least, Dean thought it was good to be 'one of the gang', until he heard one of the group call out to someone else.
“Hey faggot! Quit spreading your queerness, we're trying to walk!”
Dean looked over and saw a boy a little shorter and younger than himself with scruffy dark hair leaning back against a row of lockers. The boy's stance looked bored and unimpressed, but Dean saw the slight shine of pain in bright blue eyes.
“Trying?” The boy tilted his head to one side like a curious puppy. “Don't tell me you still haven't mastered it. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, you'll learn eventually.”
Dean grinned at the kid. He always enjoyed talking to someone who could hold their own.
“Whatever, fag,” Dean's acquaintance glared, and Dean suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable. Did he really want to hang out with these guys, who picked on a younger boy?
“Ignore them,” another boy - Josh, he thought - told Dean. “Castiel's weird. Keeps to himself a lot. Probably thinks he's better than the rest of us, 'cause his family's mega-rich. His uncle's Michael Angelou, some sort of fancy politician always flying off to Washington. His dad owns a few different companies that employ most of the people in town, and his other uncle's head of the police force.”
“Really?” Dean asked. Something seemed off. Surely if Castiel was an arrogant dick, then he'd dress up and flaunt it. Instead, his clothes were almost as worn as Dean's own, and the boy seemed to be trying to avoid notice. Not to mention that little flash of pain that had shone through, despite clear practice at hiding his feelings.
Glancing back, Dean's gaze caught Castiel's, and it felt as though he was captivated. There was something there, something worth pursuing.
Dean had found his distraction for the stay in town.
~*~
“These ones Dean? Please?”
Dean grinned indulgently as Sam held up a bundle of sheets. They were in the local thrift shop, trying to find the various things that the apartment was still missing, and Sam had found a sheet set for his bed.
“Star Wars? You're sure?”
“Please!” Sam's eyes were wide, and Dean internally gave in straight away. Didn't mean he had to tell Sam that. “It's Han and Chewy! They're awesome!”
“Weeeell...”
“C'mon Dean!”
“Yeah, all right,” Dean couldn't keep up the pretence, never could where Sam was involved. “Give 'em here.”
“Thanks!” Sam launched himself at Dean and hugged him, making Dean laugh a little. “You're the best.”
“I know,” Dean hugged back, then gently pushed Sam in the direction of the clothes. “Go find a jacket, that one's way too thin.”
“Okay,” Sam hurried off, not looking back.
Dean sighed and checked the price on the sheets. They weren't as expensive as he'd feared, but were still more than he really wanted to pay out. If it made Sam happy though, Dean would figure out a way to make their money stretch a bit more. Besides, the kid needed sheets on the bed.
“Can I help you dear?” An elderly woman spoke then, and Dean looked up to give her his most charming smile.
“Just getting some supplies,” he spoke politely. It was always worth minding his manners in these places, since the women might cut him a deal if he was pleasant.
“Taking care of your brother are you? That's nice,” the woman smiled. She was a little shorter than Dean was, and clearly quite old. “I wish my grandson was as nice. He's always picking on his little sister, never helps out around the place. I've been asking him to do the yard work for weeks, it's still a tip.”
Dean's ears pricked up at that, and he turned more fully towards her.
“Do you need some help around the house?” he asked, trying not to sound too pushy. “I'm trying to find some work, I'd be happy to do any odd jobs you've got.”
“Oh, that would be lovely!” The woman smiled widely. “My name's Doris, I'm not sure I can pay you much, but if you're willing I have some friends who need some odd jobs done as well. When you get to my age, it's difficult to keep a house running properly by yourself.”
“That's okay by me,” Dean nodded. “I'll need to do things after school or on weekends.”
“Of course dear,” Doris took Dean's arm and they walked over to the counter. “Feel free to bring your brother with you, he can do his homework inside if you like.”
As they worked out the details, Dean felt the weight on his shoulders starting to lift. It wasn't much, but it was a start, and at least he'd still be able to keep an eye on Sam in the afternoons while working.
~*~
Castiel flinched as he slipped in through the kitchen door, listening to the voices shouting somewhere down the hall. Things were bad enough when it was just him and his father, but when his uncles were around everything was so much worse. He listened for a moment, pinning down where the argument was taking place, and planned his route to his room accordingly. If he went up the old servants' stairs at the back of the house, he could reach the attic without going near the formal dining room where he could hear his uncle Michael shouting about an unreasonable price. He guessed that it was something to do with the latest company his father had bought out.
A few steps into the main entrance hall, however, Castiel felt a hand land on the back of his neck, and he was dragged into the dining room by his uncle Raphael. Castiel tried to smother the thought that the sadistic prick had been waiting for him so that he had something to unleash his anger on.
“Little shit, sneaking around all the time,” Raphael growled, and Castiel tried to suppress the shudder that went through him. “Thought I taught you better than that last time!”
Castiel glanced over at his father, trying to plead for mercy with his eyes, wishing that just this once the man would do right by his only son.
Lucifer just smiled as the first pained cry left Castiel's lips.
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“What's up, angel? Can't sleep?”
Green eyes - Dean's eyes, but in a softer face - stared back at him from the bed as Marie shook her head.
“I had the nightmare again. It's scary.”
Sam quickly went over to his sister's bed and sat down, allowing her to curl into his side. The tiny girl was prone to night terrors, but just like Dean was stubborn about seeking help. She'd lap up any comfort that went to her, though, and Sam was always willing to give her as many cuddles as she wanted.
“It's still pretty early,” Sam commented. “You want a story to help you go back to sleep?”
“Yeah,” Marie nodded firmly. “Need Blue Bunny first.”
With a smile, Sam quickly fetched Marie favourite toy from where it had fallen off the end of the bed and returned it to her. They curled up together, Sam providing a shield from the world.
“What story do you want?”
Marie thought for a moment before responding.
“Tell me about how my parents met.”
Sam smiled. That was one of his favourites too. Just as he was about to start, Dean came in and sat on the end of the bed as well. He handed over mugs of hot chocolate, and Sam realised he must have overheard them before.
“Go on,” Dean grinned at him. “Tell us a story.”
“Once upon a time...”
“Dude, it wasn't a fairy tale.”
“It was if I say it was. Stop interrupting.”
“Whatever.”
“As I was saying... once upon a time, there were two young boys who were looking for their father. He hunted monsters, and the two were worried when he stopped calling them. The elder decided, when they were low on money, to settle down in one place for a while. It would give them time to enjoy just being brothers, and for the pair to have some uninterrupted schooling...”
~*~
Part One
~*~
Dean smiled as he watched Sam running around the back yard, kicking a soccer ball. It was a hobby that Dean did his best to encourage, since it made the boy happy and helped him to make friends. The pair were staying in a mid-sized town for now, having run out of money to keep going after John had disappeared. A part of Dean actually hoped that their father would stay gone, since Sam seemed so excited at the prospect of staying in one town for the rest of the school year. He hadn't really told Sam that John was missing, since he wasn't sure what the boy's reaction would be, and they were both enjoying the prospect of a proper family life. If only for a few months until the school year ended and Dean could scrape together the funds to move on again.
“Dean!” Sam shouted then, drawing Dean out of his musing. “C'mon, play with me!”
“Sorry kiddo,” Dean glanced down at his watch. “We gotta head to school soon. Don't want to draw attention on the first day.”
“Okay!”
Dean couldn't keep the fond smile off of his face, not here where there was no one but Sam to see. Sam was the only twelve year old he knew who actually enjoyed school. Still, it meant that neither of them ever got in trouble for not doing school work, since Sam would lecture Dean until he did his homework and helped Sam with his.
The short walk to school was spent with Sam babbling a mile a minute about how he hoped that they'd be studying the same book as at the last school because he was enjoying it, and things like that.
Dean just nodded in the appropriate places, now and then adding a comment to show he wasn't ignoring his brother. He also made a mental note to check out the high school library and see if there were any books that Sam would like. It wasn't like Dean would need to get any for himself - between laying low at school and finding some way of making money to keep them going, he wasn't going to have a whole lot of free time. That thought just depressed him, and Dean tried to shake off the dread of having to find a job. He certainly wasn't looking forward to that.
They arrived at the elementary school where Dean had enrolled his brother the previous week and slowed. His grip on Sam tightened just a little as he surveyed the large amount of people coming and going, people who might try to take Sam away or hurt him.
“I'll be fine,” Sam rolled his eyes, not quite getting the root of Dean's unease. “You always act like we've never been to a new school before, or transferred most of the way through the year.”
“If you say so,” Dean reluctantly let his arm slip from around Sam's shoulders. “You'll meet me out front after school, right? No dawdling.”
“Yes Dad,” Sam laughed and ducked the half-hearted swipe Dean sent him, then headed in.
Dean sighed as he left Sam at the gate before he continued on down the street to the High School building. He couldn't help the unease that always filled him when Sam was out of his sight for more than five minutes, even if he knew his little brother would be fine. The runt loved school and knew how to keep out of trouble. Even better, he knew how to protect himself if trouble found him.
Meanwhile, Dean really didn't see the point in school. He was going to be a hunter like his dad, he didn't need a formal education. Sam, though, was going to go further. All the way to college if Dean had any say in it, no matter what their dad thought about it splitting the family up. The man couldn't really talk when he was the one always disappearing. Sam was really smart, stubborn as hell, and could do anything if he really went for it. It made Dean really proud, even if he did tease Sam for being a bit of a geek.
By the time he wandered into the high school building it was mere seconds before the bell for home class rang, but he didn't bother speeding up. Instead he took his time, eyes passing over the rest of the students to see if any were worth taking the time to pursue. There were a few pretty girls who knew nothing of his reputation, and Dean decided that being here might not be so bad after all.
~*~
“Hi there,” came a voice from behind. Sam turned and smiled at the pretty blonde girl. “My name's Ruby. You're new, you want to sit with me at lunch? Get to know the school a bit?”
“Sure,” Sam nodded. He'd noticed Ruby in his classes, and how the other kids seemed to follow her lead. If for some strange reason she wanted to hang out with him, no way was Sam going to turn her down.
“C'mon,” Ruby tilted her head, indicating down the hall. “Lunchroom's this way. You're going to want to get there as early as you can to get the decent food.”
“I don't need to buy any,” Sam trotted along beside Ruby. He was only about half an inch taller than her, which was kind of annoying, but at least he wasn't the shortest in the class this time. “My big brother makes my lunch every day.”
“Really?” Ruby asked, one eyebrow raising. “You get along with your brother?”
“Yeah, he's awesome,” Sam grinned. “He's a great cook, and he makes the best lunches. Comes up with all sorts of weird things that always taste good.”
“Wow,” Ruby looked really impressed. “That does sound cool. My brother's a real loser.”
“Dean's always taken care of me. Our mom's dead, and our dad's not around much. He's always off working.” It occurred to Sam that he really shouldn't be giving so much away in the first conversation, but there was something about Ruby that made him want to talk, want to impress her.
“My dad always gives me what I want,” Ruby shrugged. “I think he feels bad about divorcing my mom.”
They continued their chatter into the cafeteria, and Sam held Ruby's bag while she bought her lunch. When they were both seated, Sam pulled out the brown bag Dean always put his lunch in, and couldn't help the smile on his face.
“What have you got?” Ruby asked, and Sam pulled out the items.
“Marshmallow sandwich, an apple, and a brownie bar,” Sam said proudly. “It's almost like a tradition. Whenever we switch schools, he makes sure I have an awesome lunch on the first day. Just in case I need a pick me up.”
“That's so cool,” Ruby smiled at him, and Sam's heart gave a funny little flutter. “So... we're going to be friends, aren't we Sam?”
“Sure,” Sam nodded. “I'd like that.”
~*~
On the way to the cafeteria for lunch, Dean walked with some members of the football team. While he wasn't interested in joining, it was handy to be associated with the cool kids. Usually meant that the other kids left him alone or idolised him, and made it that much easier to score with the cheerleaders.
At least, Dean thought it was good to be 'one of the gang', until he heard one of the group call out to someone else.
“Hey faggot! Quit spreading your queerness, we're trying to walk!”
Dean looked over and saw a boy a little shorter and younger than himself with scruffy dark hair leaning back against a row of lockers. The boy's stance looked bored and unimpressed, but Dean saw the slight shine of pain in bright blue eyes.
“Trying?” The boy tilted his head to one side like a curious puppy. “Don't tell me you still haven't mastered it. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, you'll learn eventually.”
Dean grinned at the kid. He always enjoyed talking to someone who could hold their own.
“Whatever, fag,” Dean's acquaintance glared, and Dean suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable. Did he really want to hang out with these guys, who picked on a younger boy?
“Ignore them,” another boy - Josh, he thought - told Dean. “Castiel's weird. Keeps to himself a lot. Probably thinks he's better than the rest of us, 'cause his family's mega-rich. His uncle's Michael Angelou, some sort of fancy politician always flying off to Washington. His dad owns a few different companies that employ most of the people in town, and his other uncle's head of the police force.”
“Really?” Dean asked. Something seemed off. Surely if Castiel was an arrogant dick, then he'd dress up and flaunt it. Instead, his clothes were almost as worn as Dean's own, and the boy seemed to be trying to avoid notice. Not to mention that little flash of pain that had shone through, despite clear practice at hiding his feelings.
Glancing back, Dean's gaze caught Castiel's, and it felt as though he was captivated. There was something there, something worth pursuing.
Dean had found his distraction for the stay in town.
~*~
“These ones Dean? Please?”
Dean grinned indulgently as Sam held up a bundle of sheets. They were in the local thrift shop, trying to find the various things that the apartment was still missing, and Sam had found a sheet set for his bed.
“Star Wars? You're sure?”
“Please!” Sam's eyes were wide, and Dean internally gave in straight away. Didn't mean he had to tell Sam that. “It's Han and Chewy! They're awesome!”
“Weeeell...”
“C'mon Dean!”
“Yeah, all right,” Dean couldn't keep up the pretence, never could where Sam was involved. “Give 'em here.”
“Thanks!” Sam launched himself at Dean and hugged him, making Dean laugh a little. “You're the best.”
“I know,” Dean hugged back, then gently pushed Sam in the direction of the clothes. “Go find a jacket, that one's way too thin.”
“Okay,” Sam hurried off, not looking back.
Dean sighed and checked the price on the sheets. They weren't as expensive as he'd feared, but were still more than he really wanted to pay out. If it made Sam happy though, Dean would figure out a way to make their money stretch a bit more. Besides, the kid needed sheets on the bed.
“Can I help you dear?” An elderly woman spoke then, and Dean looked up to give her his most charming smile.
“Just getting some supplies,” he spoke politely. It was always worth minding his manners in these places, since the women might cut him a deal if he was pleasant.
“Taking care of your brother are you? That's nice,” the woman smiled. She was a little shorter than Dean was, and clearly quite old. “I wish my grandson was as nice. He's always picking on his little sister, never helps out around the place. I've been asking him to do the yard work for weeks, it's still a tip.”
Dean's ears pricked up at that, and he turned more fully towards her.
“Do you need some help around the house?” he asked, trying not to sound too pushy. “I'm trying to find some work, I'd be happy to do any odd jobs you've got.”
“Oh, that would be lovely!” The woman smiled widely. “My name's Doris, I'm not sure I can pay you much, but if you're willing I have some friends who need some odd jobs done as well. When you get to my age, it's difficult to keep a house running properly by yourself.”
“That's okay by me,” Dean nodded. “I'll need to do things after school or on weekends.”
“Of course dear,” Doris took Dean's arm and they walked over to the counter. “Feel free to bring your brother with you, he can do his homework inside if you like.”
As they worked out the details, Dean felt the weight on his shoulders starting to lift. It wasn't much, but it was a start, and at least he'd still be able to keep an eye on Sam in the afternoons while working.
~*~
Castiel flinched as he slipped in through the kitchen door, listening to the voices shouting somewhere down the hall. Things were bad enough when it was just him and his father, but when his uncles were around everything was so much worse. He listened for a moment, pinning down where the argument was taking place, and planned his route to his room accordingly. If he went up the old servants' stairs at the back of the house, he could reach the attic without going near the formal dining room where he could hear his uncle Michael shouting about an unreasonable price. He guessed that it was something to do with the latest company his father had bought out.
A few steps into the main entrance hall, however, Castiel felt a hand land on the back of his neck, and he was dragged into the dining room by his uncle Raphael. Castiel tried to smother the thought that the sadistic prick had been waiting for him so that he had something to unleash his anger on.
“Little shit, sneaking around all the time,” Raphael growled, and Castiel tried to suppress the shudder that went through him. “Thought I taught you better than that last time!”
Castiel glanced over at his father, trying to plead for mercy with his eyes, wishing that just this once the man would do right by his only son.
Lucifer just smiled as the first pained cry left Castiel's lips.
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