The Neighbor's Son
Title: The Neighbor's Son
Category: Supernatural
Characters: OC, Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester
Rating: PG
Pairings: none
Spoilers: for season 10 up to 10x12
Summary: Tag to 10x12. What if Dean stayed a teenager a little while longer? Sequel to The New Neighbor.
Disclaimer: Not mine, I'm just playing with other people's toys.
The Neighbor's Son
I hadn't seen Dean in almost two month and I started to worry. He had been out of town for a week or two before but never for this long. If I'd known where he lived I would have been at his door with a warm apple pie weeks ago but I still didn't know much about him.
He came into my store regularly and he always had time for a little chat but he barely revealed anything personal.
During the last two month his brother, Sam, had been in my store twice, though. The first time he'd looked ragged and tired with bags under his eyes and stubble on his cheeks like he hadn't bothered to shave in a week.
When he came to the counter loaded with coffee, energy drinks and cheap whiskey the question on my lips died. I didn't know much about Dean and even less about Sam but it was obvious that the man in front of me was dead on his feet and the last thing he needed right now was the nosy lady from the grocery store.
"Nothing solid?" I asked in a gentle tone and started scanning the energy drinks.
"Uhh." He made, looking at me as if only now he noticed that I was there. "Yeah."
He rubbed his face and ran his fingers through his unruly hair before he turned around and disappeared between the shelves. Okay, he was too tall to disappear between them so I could tell that he was looking at the snacks. Seconds later he was back with a bag of crackers.
"On the house." I added two chocolate bars to his purchase. "Say Dean hallo from me."
For a second he looked at me astonished with too bright eyes and he had to swallow thickly before he could croak out a "thanks".
I watched him leave and couldn't help but wonder where Dean was. The way he'd been talking about his Sammy, as he called his not so little little brother, I'd first assumed that Sam was his son.
No way Dean wouldn't take care of his brother and Sam had looked like he needed a little caring for. Caring that didn't involve huge amounts of caffeine and alcohol.
"Hope you're alright, boy." I muttered under my breath but there was nothing I could do.
The second time Sam came in he looked equally tired and he had one arm in a sling but he was smiling.
He loaded his cart with buns and burger meat, tomatoes and apple juice. And he raided the snacks aisle. Last thing on his long list was a frozen cherry pie.
This time I felt comfortable enough to ask.
"Haven't seen Dean around in a while." I said while I started ringing his things.
I almost missed his muttered: "Yeah, me too."
When I looked up to ask what he meant he just shook his head and a smile was playing around his lips.
"But he's back now." He said.
I wanted to ask where he'd been and if he was alright but I bit back the questions and helped Sam to get all his stuff to the car instead.
"Thanks, Margret." He said in earnest and I wondered how he even knew my name. Dean was the only explanation and I would lie if I said it didn't warm my heart that Dean had told his brother enough about me to remember my name.
"Tell Dean that I expect him to come in soon."
"I will." He promised and with that he left.
So the next time the Impala turned up outside my shop I fully expected Dean to emerge from the driver's side.
I can't tell if I was disappointed or worried when it was once again Sam getting out of the car.
Not that I was prying or anything, mind you, but it was just after noon and the store was empty and there wasn't much else to do than to watch the sidewalk.
My heart sped up when the door on the passenger side opened as well. Okay, I was a bit worried about Dean and I kinda missed our little chats and I just wanted to see him to know that he was okay.
However, it wasn't Dean who got out of the car and followed Sam towards my door. It was a teenage boy I'd never seen before. He had to be around the age of Linda Walker's boy so I made a mental note to ask her if there was a new kid in town. I hadn't heard about any new people and I sat at the center of the gossip but even I could miss something.
Or the boy was just here for a visit. Without staring at them too obviously, I took them in when they passed my counter to get deeper into the store. Sam gave me a friendly nod but the boy avoided looking at me and it was almost as if he was hiding behind Sam.
I would have bet money that they were family, though, maybe the boy was Sam's son. Dean had never mentioned any nephews or any other kind of family for that matter but that didn't mean there wasn't any. The boy looked a bit like Sam but thinking about it, he came more after Dean. So maybe Dean had a little secret?
Before the boy disappeared between the shelves he locked eyes with me and for a second it looked like he wanted to say something but then he closed his mouth and stepped into the aisle, out of my line of view.
They were the only customers and my store isn't that big so I could hear most of their conversation. And with Sam towering over the shelves I could tell what they were looking at.
"Dude, the peanut butter is over there." The boy pointed out. "I'll get your freaking bananas."
Muttering under his breath Sam moved in the right direction for the peanut butter but the boy hadn't even been near that area so I did wonder how he knew where it was.
For the next few minutes they were roaming my store and I watched with amusement how the boy directed Sam through the shelves.
I swear, I'd never seen this boy before, he had never set a foot in my store I was sure of that, but he knew exactly where to find the things they needed.
Sam came to a halt at the bread section, his forehead knitted in concentration.
"Dean?" He suddenly yelled. "Which brand do you usually get?"
The boy who had been picking up milk and with that was in my line of view froze and for a second I thought he would drop the bottle in his hand.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sam straighten up but my focus was on the boy. Dean.
He tried to cover up his shock, tried to act normal when he shouted the answer back to Sam like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. And if I hadn't seen him freeze for that one second I would have believed his act.
The name probably ran in the family. He was Dean junior or Dean the third or Dean was his middle name and he didn't like his first one.
But that didn't explain his reaction. It didn't explain why he kept glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. And it didn't explain why Sam suddenly hurried to finish their shopping trip.
He put their things on the counter and it could have been accidental that he suddenly stood between me and the boy.
I still had no idea what to make out of the situation but they had two loaded carts and it would take a while to scan it all so I had time to make some small talk.
"Your nephew?" I asked with a not at the boy who tried to disappear behind Sam.
For a second Sam just stood there before he caught himself and answered with an awkward laugh.
"Yeah, he is." He cleared his throat. "Usually people think he's my son."
"I doubt you'd name your kid after your brother." I pointed out. "And he looks like Dean."
Now the boy made a choking noise.
"He does." Sam said with something in his voice I couldn't quite place. Almost as if the thought was amusing.
"Where is Dean by the way?" I was back at ringing up his things but now something occurred to me. "He's okay, isn't he?"
Sam was here with his brother's son and I still hadn't seen Dean. I didn't like where that train of thought went. Was he sick? Dead?
"He's okay." Sam hurried to assure me, probably guessing what I was thinking. "He's just … something happened. He won't be coming in for a while." He empathized the last words and the way he turned a bit I got the feeling they weren't meant for me.
There was something going on between the man and the boy, like a silent argument, but I had no idea what it was about. So I just finished ringing their things.
Sam had two good arms again and he put them to good use by grabbing most of the bags, leaving only two smaller ones for his nephew.
While Sam was already outside, loading the trunk, Dean junior was still fiddling with the bags, clearly hesitant to leave.
"I know this is going to sound weird." He finally said and the look he gave me was way older than it should be for a boy his age. He looked so much like his father, it hurt. "Don't worry if you don't see my … dad for a while. He's fine. He's just …" At a loss he stopped, then he shook his head and grabbed his bags.
"See you around, Margret." He said it like his father did. With the same glint in his eyes and the same tilt of his head.
I watched them leave, still not sure what to make out of the situation. The boy was so much like Dean, it was scary.
They were back the next week. This time Dean junior came straight up to me and placed a box on the counter.
"It's from my dad." He said and shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "He can't come in but he wanted you to know he's alright."
I didn't need to open the box to know what was inside, I could smell the rich aroma of the pie.
"Thank you, Dean." I said and I wasn't sure which Dean I was addressing. But I had the feeling that didn't really matter.
Part Three
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