Dear Addiction

Chapter twenty one

The handcuffs hurt. A lot. The officer being more than happy to cuff Dean's wrists, tightening them as much as the handcuffs would allow, and then leaving Dean to sit with them, as time ticked on. For at least an hour, before Crowley had somehow fixed things. Dean assumed it was the same way he fixed every other problem Dean caused, with lots of yelling, threats, and then money. Dean was sure his paycheck would be suffering after that arrest.

Sam had been mad, though he didn't say anything about it when they bought their new tickets for the next flight, or when they were on the plane, and both kids had fallen asleep. In fact he didn't say anything to Dean until they'd gotten their bags from baggage claim, and found Lee waiting for them in the parking lot.

"Dean!" Lee greeted them as they walked up to his car, Dean first followed by Sam and the kids.

Dean lent in using his free hand to give the other a side hug. "Hey man," Dean said, as he lent in, Dean could smell a musty smoke coating his friend. His eyes glanced across Lee's face as he pulled away,studying the red tinged that Lee's eyes held. "thanks for lending us yer car.""

"Anytime." Lee stepped towards Sam, a smiling across the youngest winchester face that Dean knew was fake. The kid Sam used when he was trying to be polite. "You must be Sam."

"Yah, it's nice to meet you,"

"And that's my niece, Ellie," Dean pointed to the young girl, who didn't respond, instead shuffling the slightest bit closer to Sam. "And my nephew John."

"Like your old man?"

Dean took a hesitant breath, glancing at his nephew as he forced himself to nod. He could feel Sam's eye on him, probably holding the worry they always did when he looked at Dean, as if Dean was ticking time bomb about to break at any point. "Yah."

The conversation died out after that and instead they filled up the car in silence, until Sam and the kids had gotten into the back and Lee was just about to open the drivers door. "I'm driving," Dean said, getting the attention of his friend, who turned to face Dean. He grabbed the keys from Lee's hands, and stepped towards the drivers door. "You're baked."

"So? That didn't bother you a few months ago."

"I told you," Dean shifted slightly, glancing to the window where he could just see his brother's silhouette. He hoped Sam hadn't noticed. "Not around the kids."

"Well I wasn't four hours ago when you were supposed to show up," Dean rolled his eyes, instead of responding opening the driver's door, and getting in, while Lee walked to the passengers door. He inserted the keys and twisted them, the engine coming to life. It was a newer car, one that Lee had recently bought to add to his endless collection of cars. "Seriously man," Dean didn't glance to his friend, instead looking back before he twisted the steering wheel and pulled out of the parking spot. "What was the delay all about?"

Dean glanced back in the mirror. He could see both the kids, Ellie in the middle playing on her toy camera, while John sat to her right, playing on Sam's phone. "Security found some heroin in my bag," Dean finally said, his grip tightening around the steering wheel.

"Were you goin't-"

"No!" Dean cried. He didn't need Lee to finish to know what he was going to say, were you going to speedball? A drug cocktail more often than not done with cocaine, and heroine. Cocaine was a rich man's drug, and just a part of the entertainment business, something Dean quickly realized, but speedballs, they were completely different. Something only someone who'd truly given up would try. Even lee who was high more often than not, wasn't willing to do it unless Dean tried with him. "Come on man You know I don't do that shit."