Trails To Happiness

The Winchester Boys

Warning! Child abuse, mention of past abuse, neglect, alcoholism,
(Narrator POV)
On one warm (thanks to the state, not the season) winter night in a motel room, two young boys by the name of Winchester were residing alone.

John Winchester was out at the bar (again) while Sam Winchester read a book for school and Dean Winchester watched some action movie from the small kitchen.

Dean was freshly twelve and making dinner for his little brother, just like he did almost every other night. Sam was lucky that Dean was determined in his shoplifting, otherwise they'd be having spaghettiOs again instead of the 'gourmet' canned ravioli that he managed to snag.

Sam was, of course, oblivious to his luck. Dean was making sure that he'd be an average eight year old who didn't have to worry about things like bills and where dinner is coming from.

Dean would do anything so that Sam was nothing like eight-year-old-Dean.

After serving up some delicious (really mediocre) ravioli and a few more hours of reading for Sam, it was time for showers and bed.

Dean made sure that Sam put down his book and went into the bathroom for his nightly routine, and once he was finished in the facilities, Dean tucked him into bed like he did every night.

"Dean? Is dad coming back tonight?" The small boy asked his older brother, who Sam loved so much that he might as well have hung all the stars and moon in the sky.

"I dunno, Sammy. Maybe." Dean replied with a smile that seemed more like a grimace. Not that the half-asleep-Sam would notice such an expression.

"Doesn't matter. I got you to protect me!" Sam said cheerily as he fought his heavy eyelids.

"That's right, squirt. Ya got good ol' Dean here to protect ya, so why don't you close those eyeballs of yours and sleep." The elder suggested wisely.

"I want to stay up with you though!"Sam whined. Normally, the boy was quite mature for his age (despite Dean's best efforts for him to be a kid as long as possible), but he acted a bit like a toddler again when he got tired enough.

"You can't stay up with me until your a big boy, Sammy! And you'll never become a big boy if ya don't get your shuteye." Dean reasoned simply.

Sam seemed to think that over for a minute before he huffed and closed his eyes. "Fine!"

"Good boy." Dean chuckled and stood from the side of the bed. "Goodnight, Sammy."

"Goodnight Dee."

With Sam successfully out for the count, Dean went about cleaning up the motel for checkout tomorrow morning and organizing the laundry amongst the three Winchester boys with identical style.

It was a shame that Sam had to leave school again so soon after last time, especially since he had a little crush on that Cindy girl in his class with the cute braids. He'd also be leaving before the spelling bee, which was sure to put a twist in his panties once he realized.

That was the only reason that John was even in the same area as them currently. First, he'd stayed close because he promised to go to said spelling bee, and then he was around to move them out of the motel by sunrise.

Wouldn't have mattered anyway, not like John actually would have shown up for that event, just like he never showed up for any of the other ones.

Dean was the one who went to the school plays, and the talent shows, and the spelling bees, and that one completely mind-numbing 'show and tell'.

Dean was the one who helped Sam practice for that 3rd grade spelling bee and he was the one who now saw the words 'important' and 'Wednesday' burned into his retinas every time he shut his eyes.