Chapter 0

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My father knelt before us, his hands shaking ever so slightly as they rubbed over each other. It was the way he spoke and the glassy look in his eyes that made it clear to me. We weren't going to see him again, maybe not for a long time at least. Taking Sammy by the shoulders, he brought my little brother to his chest, picking up the three year old and kissing the side of his head.

"You be good, ya hear me Sammy? You listen and stay close to your brother." He set Sammy down, taking his hand and placing it mine. Dad's eyes trailed up to mine, the glassy look almost gone, almost. "You look out from him, do you understand? Whatever it takes, you make sure Sammy is safe." I nodded, giving a 'yes, sir' in response as he gently placed his hands on my shoulders.

"I love you boys, remember." With that we were lead away, down a hall, out a door, and into a car.

Month 1

Sam went up for adoption pretty fast, faster than I had wished. A small, dopey eyed kid like him, shouldn't have been very surprising. But it honestly happened so quickly, we both had just gotten settled down at the boy's home. I pleaded when the family came to take Sammy. I made a promise to him that I would always be by his side, to protect him, to watch over him. But who was I kidding, I was seven.

Luckily for me, the adoption didn't stick. Sammy refused to cooperate with the couple, throwing tantrums, crying out for me. So they returned him, saying that he was causing too many problems when he refused to obey them. That's my boy. Fight the man little bro!

Year 2

I had never felt so much anger surge through me until that day. The bastard tried it again. He knew damn well that we didn't like to be separated from each other. I was called into the main office by Mr. I'm-Older-So-I-Know-More-Than-You, and he started to babble, god I hate when people babble. He went on for an hour before he let me go. I was already annoyed with him, but it wasn't until I went to go see Sam at his class room did I lose my shit.

I heard him before I saw anything.

"No! I can't leave Dean, I promised! I promised Dean I would stay with him! I want Dean!"

I ran and what I saw made my blood boil. I didn't care if I was grounded for a month after, I might have been smaller back then but I could throw my weight around. I drop kicked that fucker and got my revenge when he tried to shove my baby bro into his car. Nobody touches my brother like that, nobody.

Year 4

Things started to look up, we had found a good home, a nice couple. Steve and Hilary Jenkins. They owned a nice house in the suburbs, white fence, big yard, awesome Park down the street. For the first time in a while things were going well, they said they were looking to foster two boys, and they liked us. Life was awesome, we lived with them for two months, two months of pure happiness. Sam even called Hilly mom once, she loved it and started to cry before lifting my seven year old brother up, but all good things seem to come to an end.

Sam and I were at school when it happened. We were called into the principal's office, greeted by two police officers. I remember the lady cop kneeling in front of us, a somber look in her eyes as she explained what was going on. I remember how Sammy had desperately tried to convince the officers that they were wrong. I remember him clinging to me as he soaked my shirt with tears, and how I tried to hold back my own when we were picked up by our social worker.

Neither of us talked for a while.

Year 6

It was the puppy that startled me first, how it just wandered into the class. It's dark brown eyes looking up from the ground it had been sniffing at. The tiny mutt stared at the eighth grade class, it's fluffy tail wagging as it walked closer in. It didn't respond when Mr. Holloway tried to push it out of the room, it avoided him, causing the man to fumble around the front of the class trying to catch the little guy. A dark skinned man came walking over not long after Holloway finally pick up the pup, rubbing a hand over his nearly bald head as he came to a halt at the door. A large smile against his face when he looked at Mr. Holloway, who didn't seem as amused as he was. Handing the happy, yipping pup to his rightful owner.

"My bad boys, little Bambi here is a free spirited creature. All about finding an adventure and what not."

He reached over to scratch and shake the pup in his arms, exclaiming happy nothings to Bambi, who seemed more than thrilled for the praise. When he looked over the class, our eyes met. He looked at least fifteen years older, but his eyes didn't match his face. They seemed aged, slightly worn from an unknown trouble that still lingered. Yet there was a playfulness to them as he winked at me, before giving us all a mock salute, quickly followed by finger guns and a click of his tongue. That earned a chuckle from the class, and an annoy sigh from the teacher.

I didn't know then, but that man, that pup, was the start. A brand new start, and as some guy once said; when one door closes, another opens.