SPN: Mistakes We Make 03
Summary: All-human AU. From the ages of 10 - 15, Dean and Castiel were inseparable. Then Dean's dad died, and rather than lose his brother to CPS, Dean took him and ran. Years later, Castiel's big brother Gabriel finds Dean working as a prostitute, and decides to try and help him - but does Dean want to be saved?
Chapter Rating: M for adult themes
A/N: Character death ahead, and the plot gets going. Why yes, I am horrible to my playthings, why do you ask? *innocent grin*
-MWM-
Dean sat in a chair by his father's bed, Sammy curled up into his side. John was hooked up to so many machines that Dean didn't know how he could sleep. Drugs probably had something to do with it.
They'd been like this for three days. Dean wanted his father to wake up, to get out of bed and shout at the doctors like he normally did. He wanted Sammy to go back to school instead of sitting here, silent and scared.
He wanted Cas back.
Dean had decided that was the worst part - there was no one to tell him that everything was going to be okay. Granted, Castiel probably wouldn't have said that, since he didn't believe in lying, but just having someone he knew here would have helped. He could have dealt with Sammy being scared, with his father being badly hurt, if only there was someone he could turn to for help.
But Castiel had been gone for nearly a week, and he hadn't heard anything from him. When Dean tried calling, it went straight to voicemail, and Cas hadn't called back. He'd even tried calling Gabriel, begging him to tell why Castiel wasn't talking to him, but hadn't gotten an answer to that either.
"Dean?"
Dean's head shot up; John was looking directly at him, eyes clouded a little with the pain, but still aware.
"Yeah Dad, I'm here."
"Dean… I'm not gonna make it. I can feel it. Promise me something… promise you'll take care of Sammy."
"I will, I promise," Dean nodded, feeling as tears started to gather. For his dad to admit how bad he felt, suddenly made everything real and too much to handle. He wanted to run, to get away from this horrible building, but he couldn't do that. Couldn't leave his dad to die alone.
So Dean and Sammy stayed by John's bedside, until the machines stopped beeping during the night.
-MWM-
Dean leaned against the wall, not hearing much of what was going on around them. Sammy was sitting over in the waiting room, needing some time by himself. Dean could see him from here, but was far enough away to not crowd the boy. He was trying to work out what would happen now - they had no parents, their house was rented, they were both still in school. Then he overheard two of the nurses talking, and his blood ran cold.
"Best call Child Protection… such a shame, having to put them in the system at this age."
"I just hope they manage to keep them together… poor boys need each other now."
Quietly, Dean moved away from where he'd been standing, and back to Sammy. No way were they going to take his brother away from him! He knelt down and put a hand on Sammy's shoulder, gaining his attention quickly.
"Sammy, listen, we have to go. Now."
"Go where?"
"Home, but only for a little bit. We're gonna have to go away."
"Can we go see Cas and Gabe?" Sammy asked, eyes wide. Dean's insides clenched at that, and he had to look away.
"I… probably not. They don't want to talk to us right now."
"Oh."
With that, Dean managed to get Sam up and they left. By simply walking and mostly looking at each other, they didn't draw much attention to themselves. They got home fairly easily, and Dean instructed Sam to pack just a few things that he couldn't bear to leave behind, as well as his school supplies.
"But why?"
"'Cause I promised Dad I'd take care of you. When we find somewhere to settle down, you're going back to school. Got it?"
"Okay, Dean."
While Sam was doing that, Dean moved through the house, gathering any valuables he could find. He had his dad's wallet, so he had some spare cash, and could withdraw more money until someone stopped the cards. John had taught him how to drive his car, so they'd take that too. They'd most likely be living out of the car for a while. John had even taught him the basics of being a mechanic, reasoning that if he was going to drive, he should know how to fix a car as well.
There were a few things he could maybe pawn off, but not much. John hadn't been much of a collector, preferring to spend money on useful things. So in the end, the boys loaded up the Impala's trunk with clothes and a few books, the laptop they'd been sharing, and the single photo album they had, containing pictures of their family. It wasn't much, but they couldn't afford to stay any longer.
Dean climbed into the driver's seat, Sammy sitting shotgun, and they drove off.
-MWM-
By the time anyone realised that Sam and Dean were missing, they were long gone. They didn't stop to say goodbye to any of their friends, just started driving. Instead of heading north to follow the Novaks, or even west to find some of John's friends, Dean instead headed south. It took them two days to reach New Orleans, a place they had no connections to. He did have an end-goal in mind, but for now, New Orleans was as good a place as any to disappear for a few days.
Sammy was pleased with where they were. Though he'd barely smiled since their dad died, he trusted that Dean was going to make things better. And this was an interesting town, so filled with history and ghost stories, it was enough to distract him for a while.
Dean found a garage and managed to talk them into letting him work for a few days for some spare cash. It was enough to get them a motel room for their stay, and stock up their supplies. Neither kid was particularly good at cooking, so they relied on diner food and snacks to keep them going.
In the end they stayed a week, and much to his surprise, the woman running the garage helped him swap over the Impala's plates.
"Honey, I know the look you two've got. You ain't got no one else but each other, and I'm betting that if you're caught, you're going into a home. You're doing the best you can to keep your family together. Now take the damn plates, and don't get caught."
Dean made sure to put her number into his new phone, with her request that he call if he needed help.
-MWM-
The next few days saw them go from New Orleans to San Antonio, Texas, to Roswell, New Mexico, to Flagstaff, Arizona. Sammy had picked up that they kept heading west now, but still didn't know what their eventual destination was going to be. He was enjoying the trip as much as he could, with the shadow of John's death still hanging over them, but he knew that Dean was doing his best to take care of them both.
Eventually, they reached their destination, and Sammy gaped at his big brother.
"Las Vegas?"
"Yup."
"But… why here?"
"Cause everyone's hiding something," Dean shrugged. "No one's gonna think much of a couple kids wandering by themselves, they'll just think that our parents are out gambling."
"You sure about that?" Sammy sounded a little doubtful. "It might be a different place to what the movies make it seem…"
"We'll be fine," Dean nodded sharply. "We've just gotta find somewhere I can work, so you can get back into school. We'll be fine."
-MWM-
Despite the city they were in, this was easier said than done. Dean tried the various mechanics he could find, all with no luck. Eventually, he found himself sitting on the hood of the Impala, notebook in his lap, trying to list his various skills to think of something else he could do.
A few minutes later, a sealed sandwich was placed on the notebook. Dean looked up in surprise, not having noticed the stranger approaching. It was a man not much taller than he was, average build, dark brown hair and an appraising look. He was well-dressed, obviously a businessman of some sort.
"The name's Crowley, kid. I overheard you looking for work. Gimme your spiel, I'll see if I've got anything for you." He had a strong accent, though it took Dean a moment to place it. English, he thought.
"Uh, I… I'm trying to put my brother through school. I know how to fix up cars, and I can take orders. I've dealt with money a bit." He wracked his brains, trying to think of anything else he could do.
Well, there was something Cas told him he was good at, but he wasn't going to tell a stranger he gave good hand-jobs. Not quite that desperate. Yet.
"I just… really need the work," Dean finished in a small voice, looking down. His eyes caught the sandwich, and he bit his lip. He was hungry - gas had taken up more money than he'd thought it would, and his dad's cards had been stopped pretty quickly. By making sure that Sammy didn't go without food, he hadn't always gotten enough to eat in the last couple of weeks.
"How old are you both?" Crowley asked, apparently considering. It was the most interest Dean had seen since starting to look for work.
"I'm fifteen… I'll be sixteen in a couple of months though. Sammy's eleven."
"Hm. You're gonna need somewhere to live too, I take it."
"That's why I need a job," Dean admitted. "I want to take care of him properly."
"Tell you what," Crowley said, a small smile playing on his face. "I've been looking for a new investment. You'll do nicely. I shall enrol young Sammy in school and pay the fees, and pay for the two of you to stay in a motel as residents. In return, you will work for me at half wage until you've covered any money I've spent on the pair of you. Deal?" At this, he held out his hand.
Dean stared at him. This was… surely this was too good to be true.
"What sort of work?" He asked. He knew he'd probably say yes, no matter what it was, but it would be good to know what he was getting into.
"I own a chain of brothels in the next town." Crowley let out a laugh as the colour drained from Dean's face. "Oh, don't worry kid, I wouldn't expect you to take on clients. But we need people to help clean the place, do maintenance, work the kitchens… all the behind the scenes stuff. I run a respectable business. And if someone does try and get in your pants, you're allowed to kick 'em in the bollocks. Clear?"
Dean considered for a moment more, then shrugged. It was a far better offer than anything else he was likely to get. So he reached out and shook Crowley's hand, nodding.
"I'll do it."
"Great," Crowley grinned, and Dean shivered a little. In that moment, Crowley looked like a shark who'd just caught up with a baby seal.
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Chapter Rating: M for adult themes
A/N: Character death ahead, and the plot gets going. Why yes, I am horrible to my playthings, why do you ask? *innocent grin*
-MWM-
Dean sat in a chair by his father's bed, Sammy curled up into his side. John was hooked up to so many machines that Dean didn't know how he could sleep. Drugs probably had something to do with it.
They'd been like this for three days. Dean wanted his father to wake up, to get out of bed and shout at the doctors like he normally did. He wanted Sammy to go back to school instead of sitting here, silent and scared.
He wanted Cas back.
Dean had decided that was the worst part - there was no one to tell him that everything was going to be okay. Granted, Castiel probably wouldn't have said that, since he didn't believe in lying, but just having someone he knew here would have helped. He could have dealt with Sammy being scared, with his father being badly hurt, if only there was someone he could turn to for help.
But Castiel had been gone for nearly a week, and he hadn't heard anything from him. When Dean tried calling, it went straight to voicemail, and Cas hadn't called back. He'd even tried calling Gabriel, begging him to tell why Castiel wasn't talking to him, but hadn't gotten an answer to that either.
"Dean?"
Dean's head shot up; John was looking directly at him, eyes clouded a little with the pain, but still aware.
"Yeah Dad, I'm here."
"Dean… I'm not gonna make it. I can feel it. Promise me something… promise you'll take care of Sammy."
"I will, I promise," Dean nodded, feeling as tears started to gather. For his dad to admit how bad he felt, suddenly made everything real and too much to handle. He wanted to run, to get away from this horrible building, but he couldn't do that. Couldn't leave his dad to die alone.
So Dean and Sammy stayed by John's bedside, until the machines stopped beeping during the night.
-MWM-
Dean leaned against the wall, not hearing much of what was going on around them. Sammy was sitting over in the waiting room, needing some time by himself. Dean could see him from here, but was far enough away to not crowd the boy. He was trying to work out what would happen now - they had no parents, their house was rented, they were both still in school. Then he overheard two of the nurses talking, and his blood ran cold.
"Best call Child Protection… such a shame, having to put them in the system at this age."
"I just hope they manage to keep them together… poor boys need each other now."
Quietly, Dean moved away from where he'd been standing, and back to Sammy. No way were they going to take his brother away from him! He knelt down and put a hand on Sammy's shoulder, gaining his attention quickly.
"Sammy, listen, we have to go. Now."
"Go where?"
"Home, but only for a little bit. We're gonna have to go away."
"Can we go see Cas and Gabe?" Sammy asked, eyes wide. Dean's insides clenched at that, and he had to look away.
"I… probably not. They don't want to talk to us right now."
"Oh."
With that, Dean managed to get Sam up and they left. By simply walking and mostly looking at each other, they didn't draw much attention to themselves. They got home fairly easily, and Dean instructed Sam to pack just a few things that he couldn't bear to leave behind, as well as his school supplies.
"But why?"
"'Cause I promised Dad I'd take care of you. When we find somewhere to settle down, you're going back to school. Got it?"
"Okay, Dean."
While Sam was doing that, Dean moved through the house, gathering any valuables he could find. He had his dad's wallet, so he had some spare cash, and could withdraw more money until someone stopped the cards. John had taught him how to drive his car, so they'd take that too. They'd most likely be living out of the car for a while. John had even taught him the basics of being a mechanic, reasoning that if he was going to drive, he should know how to fix a car as well.
There were a few things he could maybe pawn off, but not much. John hadn't been much of a collector, preferring to spend money on useful things. So in the end, the boys loaded up the Impala's trunk with clothes and a few books, the laptop they'd been sharing, and the single photo album they had, containing pictures of their family. It wasn't much, but they couldn't afford to stay any longer.
Dean climbed into the driver's seat, Sammy sitting shotgun, and they drove off.
-MWM-
By the time anyone realised that Sam and Dean were missing, they were long gone. They didn't stop to say goodbye to any of their friends, just started driving. Instead of heading north to follow the Novaks, or even west to find some of John's friends, Dean instead headed south. It took them two days to reach New Orleans, a place they had no connections to. He did have an end-goal in mind, but for now, New Orleans was as good a place as any to disappear for a few days.
Sammy was pleased with where they were. Though he'd barely smiled since their dad died, he trusted that Dean was going to make things better. And this was an interesting town, so filled with history and ghost stories, it was enough to distract him for a while.
Dean found a garage and managed to talk them into letting him work for a few days for some spare cash. It was enough to get them a motel room for their stay, and stock up their supplies. Neither kid was particularly good at cooking, so they relied on diner food and snacks to keep them going.
In the end they stayed a week, and much to his surprise, the woman running the garage helped him swap over the Impala's plates.
"Honey, I know the look you two've got. You ain't got no one else but each other, and I'm betting that if you're caught, you're going into a home. You're doing the best you can to keep your family together. Now take the damn plates, and don't get caught."
Dean made sure to put her number into his new phone, with her request that he call if he needed help.
-MWM-
The next few days saw them go from New Orleans to San Antonio, Texas, to Roswell, New Mexico, to Flagstaff, Arizona. Sammy had picked up that they kept heading west now, but still didn't know what their eventual destination was going to be. He was enjoying the trip as much as he could, with the shadow of John's death still hanging over them, but he knew that Dean was doing his best to take care of them both.
Eventually, they reached their destination, and Sammy gaped at his big brother.
"Las Vegas?"
"Yup."
"But… why here?"
"Cause everyone's hiding something," Dean shrugged. "No one's gonna think much of a couple kids wandering by themselves, they'll just think that our parents are out gambling."
"You sure about that?" Sammy sounded a little doubtful. "It might be a different place to what the movies make it seem…"
"We'll be fine," Dean nodded sharply. "We've just gotta find somewhere I can work, so you can get back into school. We'll be fine."
-MWM-
Despite the city they were in, this was easier said than done. Dean tried the various mechanics he could find, all with no luck. Eventually, he found himself sitting on the hood of the Impala, notebook in his lap, trying to list his various skills to think of something else he could do.
A few minutes later, a sealed sandwich was placed on the notebook. Dean looked up in surprise, not having noticed the stranger approaching. It was a man not much taller than he was, average build, dark brown hair and an appraising look. He was well-dressed, obviously a businessman of some sort.
"The name's Crowley, kid. I overheard you looking for work. Gimme your spiel, I'll see if I've got anything for you." He had a strong accent, though it took Dean a moment to place it. English, he thought.
"Uh, I… I'm trying to put my brother through school. I know how to fix up cars, and I can take orders. I've dealt with money a bit." He wracked his brains, trying to think of anything else he could do.
Well, there was something Cas told him he was good at, but he wasn't going to tell a stranger he gave good hand-jobs. Not quite that desperate. Yet.
"I just… really need the work," Dean finished in a small voice, looking down. His eyes caught the sandwich, and he bit his lip. He was hungry - gas had taken up more money than he'd thought it would, and his dad's cards had been stopped pretty quickly. By making sure that Sammy didn't go without food, he hadn't always gotten enough to eat in the last couple of weeks.
"How old are you both?" Crowley asked, apparently considering. It was the most interest Dean had seen since starting to look for work.
"I'm fifteen… I'll be sixteen in a couple of months though. Sammy's eleven."
"Hm. You're gonna need somewhere to live too, I take it."
"That's why I need a job," Dean admitted. "I want to take care of him properly."
"Tell you what," Crowley said, a small smile playing on his face. "I've been looking for a new investment. You'll do nicely. I shall enrol young Sammy in school and pay the fees, and pay for the two of you to stay in a motel as residents. In return, you will work for me at half wage until you've covered any money I've spent on the pair of you. Deal?" At this, he held out his hand.
Dean stared at him. This was… surely this was too good to be true.
"What sort of work?" He asked. He knew he'd probably say yes, no matter what it was, but it would be good to know what he was getting into.
"I own a chain of brothels in the next town." Crowley let out a laugh as the colour drained from Dean's face. "Oh, don't worry kid, I wouldn't expect you to take on clients. But we need people to help clean the place, do maintenance, work the kitchens… all the behind the scenes stuff. I run a respectable business. And if someone does try and get in your pants, you're allowed to kick 'em in the bollocks. Clear?"
Dean considered for a moment more, then shrugged. It was a far better offer than anything else he was likely to get. So he reached out and shook Crowley's hand, nodding.
"I'll do it."
"Great," Crowley grinned, and Dean shivered a little. In that moment, Crowley looked like a shark who'd just caught up with a baby seal.
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