Day and Night

A Side of Truth

Dean got a pretty clear mental picture of the boy's life. He'd let his instincts guide him when they got to the boy's place, but he had a tentative plan forming already.

A quick stop at the local thrift shop got Jared two pairs of better fitting jeans, three t-shirts with characters he liked, a hoody, and sturdy tan boots. The smile on Jared's face would make you think it was Christmas. Dean just ruffled his hair when he kept thanking him. He reminded him that he was just the chauffer because it was Ben's money.

Jared had told him they were being evicted from their apartment. His uncle had gotten hurt and hadn't been working. Unfortunately, this was right after Jared's mom died in a car accident, and his dad took off because he couldn't deal with it. Jared swore his uncle wasn't a bad guy, but when he drank, he'd pass out and have nightmares. Jared got hurt when he went to the bathroom and startled him when he was in one of these states.

Dean thought Jared was being awfully forgiving for the bruises he'd seen, but he'd also been trying to run away to make it stop. Dean was going to see that it did stop.

First, he'd asked Jared what his uncle liked to eat and has gotten an order to go before they headed out. He explained to Jared that he was going to tell his uncle a lie and that normally lying was wrong, but he wanted to leave the uncle with a little dignity to make him more agreeable to talk to him. It was the same way Ben had gotten his mom to talk to him all those years ago, although he always wondered if she had just played along.

Pulling up in front of the apartment complex, Jared pointed to his home. "That's where we were all living. Now it's just me and my uncle, but not for long I guess." He shrugged as he looked away out the window.

Dean's hand settled on his shoulder. "Just you wait and see. This isn't my first merry-go-round." He said encouragingly.

"I thought the expression is 'not my first rodeo'?" Jared asked in confusion.

Dean winked. "I wouldn't be caught dead on the back of a REAL horse. Especially one with no manners!"

Jared grinned at his silliness. It lifted his spirits from the uncertainty ahead. He grabbed the bag of his new clothes and led Dean up the walkway carrying the food and coffee. He appreciated everything, but especially how Dean was making an effort to guard his uncle's pride. It felt like life had beat him down enough already.

The door was unlocked when Jared turned the knob and pushed it open. He hesitated when Dean said "Wait. Call him. I don't want you going inside alone, but I want him to invite me in." He nodded that he understood. He was glad Dean had done this before and had thought about all the parts.

"Uncle Lonnie, I'm back."

A groan was heard from the sofa in the front room.

He hesitated before speaking again. "I got a ride back and this man wants to talk to you a minute, please." He added as an afterthought.

Another groan was followed by movement as a body shifted on the couch and sat up. He was visible from behind as the sofa faced a small television with the news playing. His shoulders were hunched until he stretched with his arms raised over his head.

"Does the Good Samaritan want a medal?" He groused sarcastically.

"No, I want to talk to the man" (he almost spit out the word 'man' emphasizing it while showing his doubt of the word) "the man who put these bruises on this boy."

His head whipped around at the hard tone. He stood quickly when he saw the big, rough looking man that was so different from the image he had in his head. This man drove his nephew home?!