Not on my watch

12. Picking sides

What if I'm far from home?
Oh, brother
I will hear you call
What if I lose it all?

(Hey brother, Avicii)

Bobby wanted the situation to be resolved, but that didn't mean he was ready to forget what he had witnessed since Sam had appeared on his doorstep on Tuesday morning.

He had led him into the house and made him a hearty breakfast. At the beginning the boy had thanked him and started eating willingly, but, at some point, just as he had finished his eggs, Sam had frozen with the food still in his mouth. Bobby had been about to ask him if something had gone down the wrong pipe, but the sixteen-year-old had preceded him: having a hard time swallowing, he had placed his fork by the side of his plate before burying his face in his hands and start crying.

- Hey...

At first Bobby had had no idea what to do. Everything had escalated too fast. One moment he had a hungry boy in front of him and the next Sam's body was shaken with more and more violent sobs. How do you behave with a teenager who apparently doesn't know the meaning of middle ground? At last Bobby had reached him and put a hand on his right shoulder.

- Hey, hey, hey, Sam - he had murmured, worried. He had caressed his head in an attempt to make him less miserable, but the boy had stayed still in his isolation. - Listen, you have to tell me what's going on, you can't make me worry like this. I'm sure it's less serious than what it looks like to you. Sam? - he had crouched down beside the sixteen-year-old's chair, shaking his head, and had been about to stroke his back. - Boy, I can't help you if you won't talk to m-...

Sam's scream had interrupted him, scaring him away. The boy had jumped to his feet as soon as Bobby's hand had touched his back, and then Sam had looked at the man with his face distorted by tears and a fright that had soon turned into shame.

- Sam - Bobby had repeated then, while a suspect made its way into his mind. - What happened? - He had moved a step towards the teenager, watching as the tears started falling again. - I need to know - he had whispered, nodding to encourage him. - And I think you really need to tell me, son.

Sam had needed a few seconds to be able to take a deep breath.

- It.. it was Dad, he... he... I sneaked out, I drank and followed Miles in the river and I shouldn't have, I know, if Dean hadn't been there I would have got into worse trouble, but he... Dad... he said I almost gave him a heart attack and that an apology wasn't enough... that I had to understand...

In that moment Bobby had grabbed him by his shoulders for fear that he could lose his balance and fall, he looked so bewildered.

- Sam - he had called him again, looking straight into his eyes. - What did your father do?

That was when Sam had taken off his t-shirt. And Bobby's worst childhood memories had poured into the old hunter's eyes, pulling one major blasphemy out of his mouth.

Once he got to the porch, John's anger overflowed and his shout made the boys flinch.

- You're preventing me from protecting him!

But not Bobby. He stood firm and loaded his rifle.

- You stopped protecting him the minute you took off that fucking belt, Winchester - he stated in a cold voice, adjusting his aim. - Now get the hell off my property. You have five seconds before I give you a free buckshot shampoo.