Then and Now

We don't get to be happy

Dean
March 16th

Dean kicked his dangling legs, the toes of his scuffed up sneakers dragging across the tiled floor of the police station.

Sammy sat on the seat next to him, his hands clasped as he looked down at the ground. His small chubby legs are still, halfway off the ground. Dean hated the sad look that was on his brothers face, he wanted to hug his brother tight and protect him from all the bad in the world.

The police where talking to each other in hushed voices, looking over at the two grubby, tear stained boys frequently. Dean hated their pitying looks, their secrecy. He wanted to know what the hell was going to happen to him. What annoyed him even more was the tears that still leaked down his bruised cheeks. 

It wasn't until Dean heard them mention homes that he realised that they were being moved again. He swallows thickly, clenching his fists as emotions overcome him. He didn't want to leave, for the first time since the accident they were happy. He thought of Lucifer and Michael, of Sammy's friend Gabriel and of Cas. He didn't want to say goodbye to his friend, Castiel made him feel like everything could be okay, that he had a home again.

Another thought struck him. What if they tried to separate him and Sam? There was no way that he was gonna let that happen. He presses his lips together firmly, clenching his jaw as he glanced at his little brother. He would protect Sammy, he promised Sam he would always be here for him and he wasn't about to let a bunch of cops stop him from doing so.

Sammy looks up, meeting Dean's eyes briefly with a look of sorrow, but then his eyes drift to something past Dean's shoulder. Dean could have sworn he saw a flicker of hope in his brother's eyes, and spun around to see what he was looking at. 

Chuck was there, talking to the police while Gabriel, Cas and Lucifer hung around his legs, scanning the station. 

Dean heart skips a beat. Chuck must be clearing everything up now! They would be okay. He 
pushes his too long sleeves up his arms, getting ready to leap off of the seat. That was, at least, until he saw the man standing in a far corner talking to an officer. 

The man looked an awful lot like.... Dean shakes his head, he was being silly. He was just jumpy.

Then Chuck was approaching them, his eyes had that horribly sympathetic look to them that adults put on when they had to tell kids something bad. Dean decided he most definitely did not like that look. 

"So kids," Chuck knelt so that he was eye level with them. "I'm afraid I have some bad news."

Dean had been ready for this. Or rather, he had thought that he was ready for this. The man that killed their parents had turned up, of course things were going to change. Still, a part of him had curled up like a wounded animal, trying to hide from the pain that stabbed in his heart. He didn't want to leave. They were happy. 

Then Dean looked over at Sammy. Sammy who, despite being very smart for his age - Dean was proud to hear that despite his... condition, Sammy was still the brightest in the class - was oblivious to what was going on. Instead, he was smiling slightly as Gabriel chattered away to him. 

Chuck sighs, it was a very heavy sigh. Dean thought that it sounded quite like the adult wanted to say something else but couldn't. 

So instead, Dean straightens his back. He would look after Sammy, even if no one else would. "Thank you, sir, for being so kind to us."

Chuck shook his head, but Dean had the feeling that he wasn't denying Dean's words. "You're a brave kid, Dean, a brave kid that deserves a hell of a break."

Dean wasn't sure what Chuck meant, but it sounded like it was meant to be nice. "Thank you, sir." For some reason, tears burned in the corners of his eyes. He didn't want to go.

Castiel shuffled forward, his large blue eyes filled with tears behind the black frames of his glasses. "I don't wan' De to go." 

Dean bit his lip. Now he knew how Sammy felt having to say goodbye to Gabriel. He didn't want to lose his best friend. 

He recognized the lady that was approaching, her hair was in the same bun it had been the day she had dropped them off at Lilith's. It was funny, the little details you noticed when you were in such pain, like he had been that day. He also noticed that a new ring rested on the same finger where his mummy's wedding ring had sat. 

It was time, he could feel it. 

Sliding off the seat, Dean walks over to his friend and hugs him tight. He didn't know what to say, his thoughts had stopped working. 

"I'll miss you Dean." Castiel hugs him back fiercely, his glasses pushed askew by Dean's shoulder. 

"I'll come back one day, and then we can be the best of friends again," Dean says this firmly, willing himself to believe it too. "But until then, we will still be best friends anyways."

Castiel smiles weakly as he steps back, his glasses fogged up. "Okay..."

Dean looked over at Sam, who was currently hugging Gabriel. Lucifer and Michael stood by their father. The Novaks, and Michael, all wore solemn expressions. 

"You better come back," Lucifer hugs Dean. Dean was pretty sure he saw tears in Lucifer's eyes. 

"Bye, Dean." Michael hugged him sadly. 

"Oh, and if you see Charles, please tell her I miss her too," Gabriel, surprisingly, stepped over to hug Dean goodbye. 

Then Sam and Dean were lead away by their case worker, and their friends disappeared from view. 

Naomi looked down at them, shaking her head. "I thought Lilith said she got the little one therapy for his speech."

Dean folded his arms, staring into nothing. Sammy just looks blankly at the floor, eyes clear from emotion. They were the Winchester's, a name that now seemed cursed. 

The Winchester's don't get to be happy.

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Woooow, I updated? I know, I'm shocked too, it hasn't even been a whole month yet.

The next chapter will be up straight after this! Due to the scene change I decided just to split the chapter in half... and well... you'll love me 😇😈