Then and Now

Charlie's story

Dean was watching Doctor Who with Charlie, his eyes wide as he stared at the screen. His mummy and daddy never would have let him watch this.
"Your parents used to let you watch this?" Dean asked without thinking.

Charlie goes still, eyes no longer fixed on the TV but instead on her clasped hands. Dean felt bad, realizing that he had probably made her sad just like how he got when someone asked what happened to his parents.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Mummy didn't let me watch much TV, only the hobbit movie..." She rubbed her eyes.
Dean wondered if he should hug her, that's what mummy used to do to make him feel better.

"But after the a-accident I was sitting in the lounge of the old lady that sometimes took care of me, she was talking to police man and I had TV on... this came on and I ended up watching it because then maybe mummy and daddy would come back." Charlie looked like she wanted to cry again. "I had been at my friends house, then mummy and daddy were going to pick me up... but the police man came instead."

Dean felt bad for making the girl cry. He decided that she definitely needed a hug, and awkwardly wrapped his arms around her. 

Sam came in at that moment, shyly ducking his head as he shuffled over to Dean.

"Hey Sammy, are you okay?"

Sam didn't reply, obviously, but he did stare at Charlie for a long moment.

"Oh, this is Charlie, she's new here."

Charlie smiles, rubbing her wet eyes. "Is this your little brother?"

Dean nods, ruffling Sam's head. Sam just kind of hides, staring shyly out from behind Dean.

"He doesn't talk, so don't feel bad if he ignores you."

Charlie just grins. Dean notices she had lost a baby tooth. He wondered if that meant she was more grown up than him, he had only just lost his first baby tooth a few months ago.

"That's okay, I'm still sure we can be friends."

Sam didn't smile, though he rarely did, but he did seem to relax a bit.

"How old is he?"Charlie was still looking at Sam with curiosity.

"Three, well he turns four tomorrow."

Charlie squealed, clapping her hands together. "Its his birthday? We have to do something!"

Dean nods seriously, like how he had seen his dad do lots whenever he had a very important phone call or friend over.

"That's what I thought," Dean was just glad someone else got what he was thinking.

Sam, having been startled at the older kid's excited squeal, had gone back to hiding behind Dean.

"We can see if Miss Lilith can get a cake or maybe even just some cupcakes, and we can make sure he has a good day!" Charlie was excited now.

Dean couldn't wait, he would make sure Sam had a good day, even if it did bring the boys some sadness along with the thoughts of their parents.

Charlie was deep in thought now. "I wish I still had mummy-" She took a deep breath. "Cause when I lived in my old home and went to my old school, I know this family with lots and lots of kids, and the youngest was Sam's age and then they could have been friends..."

Dean frowned. "Lot of kids?"

Charlie nods, animated again if not a bit sad still. "Yeah! They have this older boy, he was a weird name and is a really big kid, he is almost in high school! And then there's luc-lucifer who was really weird but always nice to me.... he wasn't as old as the other boy though."

Charlie stopped to think. "I cant remember them all, but I know that the one Sam's age had really blue eyes, and the other brother, Gabriel was my best friend!"

Dean couldn't imagine having that many brothers and sisters. And his mummy used to say he had a very good imagination.
Again he felt like crying. He missed his mummy a lot, and he really, really wanted her to be there for Sammy's birthday.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

It was Sam's birthday, and Dean woke up early with the plan to do something special. However, he found himself face to face with an angry Lilith glaring down at him. 

"Why am I getting a call from your teachers saying you left school early yesterday?" 

Uh oh, Dean forgot he had slipped away to get Sammy a present. "I'm sorry Miss Lilith."

"'Sorry' won't cut it."

Dean didn't want to go back into that small dark space. "It won't happen again!"

"I know it won't," Her voice was overly sweet. "But I would like to make sure that the message sticks."

Dean cries and fights as Lilith drags him over to the cupboard and shoves him inside. Leaving him in the darkness once more, and on his brother's birthday at that.  He just hoped that Sammy didn't get upset.