Sam smiled as the unfamiliar car pulled into Bobby's front yard and motored to a stop just feet from where he sat on the porch steps waiting.

"Dad, Bobby, he's here." Sam heard Dean mention from the screen door. He heard the door open behind him as the older boy stepped outside.

Sam stood as Ben slid out from behind the wheel and ambled forward, still dressed in suit pants, a dress shirt and tie. The redhead was smiling too as he stuck out his hand to grasp Sam's in a firm shake.

"Sam!" He grinned, "You're looking a hell of a lot better than you did the last time I saw you, man."

Sam chuckled, "Yeah, you too. Glad you made it."

Ben nodded as his gaze traveled upward to Dean. He shot a cautious smile in the older boy's general direction. After a moment, Dean smiled back. "Got a haircut, I see." Noting the boy's short, stylish cut that looked like it required quite a bit of hair gel.

Ben grinned, stepping up to catch Dean's hand in a shake. "Yeah, well, you know, gotta fit into society, right?"

Dean took the offered hand in a firm grip, grinning. "Eh, Fitting in is overrated."

Ben shrugged, looking to John. "Sir." He greeted, not sure what to do with his hands.

But John took a few steps forward and reached down, offering his own hand for a shake. "Ben. It's good to meet you, son. I hear you tried looking out for my youngest in that hellhole. We owe you our thanks."

Ben was taken aback. It took him a moment to compose himself. He cleared his throat. "There, uh, wasn't a lot we could do in there. Not much hope, you know." He said, voice emotionless.

But John refused to let the boy discount what he'd done. "Still, you tried. You're a good man, Ben."

Sam shifted as an awkward silence fell. "Wanna meet Shallie?" He asked.

Ben grinned, "Do I? Yes!"

"Come on," Sam said, leading the way to the room he still shared with Dean at the top of the stairs. The two boys passed Bobby along the way, and Ben shook his hand and accepted his offer to stay for dinner.

In the bedroom, the two boys were met with a frantic, wriggling ball of fur that launched itself at Sam as soon as the door opened. "I wanted to keep him here til after you got inside. He can be a little enthusiastic at times." Sam giggled as the little dog lapped at his face.

Ben grinned, ruffling the little dog's fur. "He's a lot more energetic than Shiloh ever was." The boy noted, as Shallie moved from assaulting Sam's face to attacking his own. "I bet he's a good guard dog."

"Well, he's a yappy guard dog." Sam admitted. "I'm not sure how intimidating he'd be. He'd probably just lick the guy to death."

Ben laughed, "Well, I guess if you have to go some way … that'd be the way."

"So you don't still have Shiloh?" Sam asked.

A cloud passed over Ben's face as he sat cross-legged on the floor, fending off Shallie's lively advances. "No … uh … you know … Mom."

Sam's eyes widened. "Oh."

"I, uh, I talked back to her one night about something stupid, and she … uh … she poisoned him - life lesson and all that."

Sam blinked. "That's … that's horrible. I'm … I'm so sorry."

Ben shrugged, "It's over and done with. Can't undo it, right? I'm done letting her ruin my life. I'm free now. I can do anything I want. Go anywhere I want. Get another dog if I want." Ben grew pensive. "I miss him though. We sort of grew up together."

Sam bit his lip, unsure of what to say. "I think you should get another dog. There's a shelter in town. We should go look!"

Ben looked up, "Yeah? You think?"

"Sure. I mean, do you have a place to stay and stuff?"

"Yeah, I'm … uh … passing through here. I have an aunt and uncle up north. They're gonna let me stay with them." He chuckled when he saw Sam's eyes widen in concern. "Don't worry, it's my dad's brother and his wife."

"Good." Sam expelled a relieved breath. "Will they let you, you think?"

"Don't know. I can call them, I guess. Maybe I will later."

Sam smiled, turning his attention back to Shallie who was now settling down comfortably in Ben's lap. "So, uh … I'm sorry … I guess. I mean about your mom. I mean ... degenerative brain disease." He looked up, hesitant, unsure of how to proceed.

But Ben only smiled. "Thanks, Sam. But it's okay if you call it what it was. She had syphilis. She had to know she was sick. She was too proud to get help. It was just a graveside service. Nobody there but me. It was kind of sad, really. I mean, she was this popular writer and all, but toward the end … I guess she just alienated everyone who knew her. I think maybe I would feel worse if she had ever been, you know, this caring person. She wasn't though - at least, not since I knew her. It was always ... always bad, you know? As far back as I can remember, it was bad. It's weird that she was originally from Sioux Falls though. She was buried, like, twenty minutes from here." He studied Sam. "I'm really sorry too. I mean, about all she put you and your family through. I feel like I'm sort of responsible in some way."

Sam shook his head. "You shouldn't. You were her victim too. Her original one. I can't imagine what it must have been like to spend three whole years at Medina."

Ben shuddered, unable to speak.

"If it helps at all, Deacon - Officer Kaylor - says they're shutting the place down at the end of the year. They're sending the adults to San Quentin and the kids to a real juvenile facility. There're already plans underway to convert it to a halfway house kind of thing."

Ben smiled, "That's good to hear, Sam. Thanks for telling me that. Deacon - he was one of the good ones. I'm sorry my crazy mom shot him in the knee. Officer Mills too. How are they doing? They okay?"

"Yeah. Deacon says he's got his pick of assignments now. He could go just about anywhere he wants in the whole nation. And Jody has a sheriff's gig lined up right here in Sioux Falls when she's better. Medina kind of boosted both of their careers. And it busted all the corrupt attendants. They won't be working with kids anymore."

Ben nodded. "Those other two officers, though. I feel so bad for their families. Officer Whitmore and Officer Turner. They didn't deserve that."

Sam's eyes watered. "They both died trying to protect me. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them."

"It wasn't your fault, Sam. It was Leslie's. She's the only one to blame. If I have to keep telling myself that, you do too, right?"

"Yeah, you do, bitch." Dean interjected from the doorway. He plopped carefully down beside the two boys and smiled when Shallie took the opportunity to realign his loyalties. The dog moved into Dean's lap and settled down with a contented sigh.

"He's such a traitor." Sam mourned.

"Nah, he's just got good taste." Dean chuckled, petting the dog gently. "So Ben." He started, glaring over at the boy.

Ben gulped, "Yeah?"

"I hope you like beef stew. Bobby has this thing he does with whiskey. It's fantastic, but you have to make sure you tell him so he'll save you a second helping."

"Love it." Ben laughed, relieved. "And even if I didn't, I think I'd be keeping quiet about it."

"Good answer." Dean agreed.

"There's homemade bread too." Sam piped up. "Bobby won't admit it, but he's been slaving down there all day."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Dean said, "I think he's trying to impress someone, and I'm pretty sure it's not me."

Ben looked confused, "Well, I'm pretty sure it's not me, so it must be you, Sam."

Sam shook his head, "Hunh uh. It's you. Dean and I told Dad and Bobby about how you tried to talk him out of bein' such a perv to me."

"Shut it, Sammy. I might have been a perv, but I was the best thing going at Medina." Dean pretended to be hurt.

Sam snickered, "That you were. Course, that's not sayin' a lot, you know."

Dean chucked a rolled up sock in his direction. "Yeah? Well, I'll remember that the next time you get yourself sent to reform school, bitch."

"Oh Dean, nobody calls it reform school anymore. What are you, eighty?" Sam kidded.

"Still young enough to kick your scrawny ass, dude."

Ben watched, amused. "You were kind of scary, Dean. And a hell of a convincing actor."

"Not convincing enough to fool you."

"Almost. If it hadn't been for that thing with Old Carl, I never would have guessed. Well, not for a while anyway. I felt real bad for Sam there for a bit."

Sam sighed. "I didn't. I was never so relieved to be manhandled by a dude in my life. When you pulled me back down and my tray went flying, I thought it was all over." He admitted, looking gratefully at Dean.

"Yeah, well, had to make it look convincing, Sammy. Sorry if I scared you."

"You didn't." Sam grinned, "Just don't ever try it again, jerk."

Dean took it as the challenge it was intended to be. "Awww?" He mourned, placing Shallie on Ben, and struggling to his feet. "You don't want O.G. anymore, baby? I'm hurt." He grinned, first stretching, then wincing when a wayward pain shot from the heel of his foot to his hip.

Sam was up in an instant. "Dean, you okay? You need the painkillers?"

Dean smiled, "Nah, I'm good, Sammy. Gonna wander back downstairs and see if Dad'll share that new six-pack."

"Hey, we might go into town later - look over the dogs in the shelter. You wanna come?"

Dean nodded. "Better wait til after dinner though, or Bobby will have a cow."

###

"So, the shelter's one block over." Sam guided Dean, encouragingly.

"How do you know this?" Dean asked. "It's been years since we've been here?"

"Well, geez, Dean. It's called a phone. You pick it up and dial a business and they tell you where they're located. Innovation, man." Sam snarked.

Dean glared over at the boy in the passenger seat. "Is it?" He asked, feigning interest. "Will that innovation get you back home when I kick your sarcastic ass out of my baby?"

Sam just grinned, pointing. "There."

When the boys stepped inside, Sam's eyes immediately went to the little dog who was on display in the window. He gasped. "Dean! It's Sequel!"

Dean frowned, "You mean the dog from the pet store? Why would she be here?"

A friendly woman stepped out from behind the counter and approached them smiling. That's Mia. She was turned over to us a few weeks ago. Her owner was suddenly transferred out of town and couldn't keep her anymore. She's a loving little dog."

Ben approached the fence that kept the little dog contained. She scurried right up to him and whined. "Can I touch her?" He asked.

She nodded, "Sure. She won't bite you."

Ben scratched the dog's neck, and she responded by licking his hand. He chuckled. "Sam, she looks exactly like Shallie."

Sam knelt down and stuck his hand inside the fence. "This is Shallie's sister. Aren't you, girl?"

"You can pick her up if you like. She loves being held." the lady said, seeing Ben's obvious infatuation.

Ben reached over and pulled the friendly canine into his arms. He smiled as the animal's tongue found his cheek. "I think she likes me."

"I think so." The woman smiled. "She's been here for two weeks. She's eligible for emergency adoption. You could take her home tonight if you wanted."

Ben grinned at Sam and Dean, his eyes lighting up. "I could take her home tonight."

They both grinned back. "I think you should." Sam said. "I think she needs you. And we were almost brothers. Now we could sort of be related for real, you know? Dog parents of siblings and all."

Ben's eyes filled. "Brothers." He said softly, burying his face in Mia's fur. "I used to dream about having brothers."

And later, after Ben had filled out the paperwork and paid the small fee, Dean didn't even complain when Ben carried Mia to the Impala and placed her on the backseat beside him.

And as the classic Chevy pulled away from the curb with the three boys inside perfectly silhouetted in the last golden light of day, the shelter owner had to smile. She had a really good feeling about this particular adoption.

- THE END -

Author's Note: Thanks, everyone, for hanging in til the end. I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did. I appreciate all your kind reviews and suggestions and feedback more than you know :)