John “Dad” Winchester

Dean Winchester age 14

Sam “Sammy” Winchester age 10

This story will be from three different perspectives.

1992

Dove Creek, Colorado

The drive to Dove Creek was a very quiet one. Dad had decided that it was about time to tell Sammy the whole truth. He knew that monsters where real. He had found that out a long time ago. Around the time he was almost devoured by one. He knew there were things out there, terrible things. He also knew our family hunted them. The thing I had been trying to protect him from was ‘why’. So when Dad just came out and told him our mother was killed in his nursery trying to save him, I was angry, but it was done. There was nothing I could do about it now. My dad told him out of anger. I would have broken it to the poor kid a little easier. I didn’t blame Sammy for our mother. I know my father didn’t either. He’d just had enough of Sammy fighting him about learning how to hunt. My dad was trying to protect him. Sam needed to know how to defend himself against whatever comes his way.

They had gotten into another fight in Stratton. We were hunting something with razor sharp teeth that feed on children’s souls. Some type of spirit. Then, Dad got a call; a lead on the thing that killed mom. Next thing we knew, we were on our way to Dove Creek. Sam said something about not wanting to hunt, or change schools again. He wanted us to be settled before school starts again in August. At first Dad was calm about it. My dad always tries to be calm with Sammy. He said that we had to make sacrifices to save peoples lives. Sam said he didn’t even know mom, and shouldn’t have to give up his life to avenge her. So Dad told him exactly why he should. He told him that Mom died trying to save him. It got Sam to shut up. I wish they would bicker some more. Silence isn’t right for them.

We finally arrived at Dove Creek around three a.m. My eldest son Dean was wide awake in the front with me, trying to keep me awake. I pulled into the motel they would stay at while I checked on the next leads. I looked in the back. Sammy was fast asleep.  He had just turned ten. He was Mary’s last baby. Mary wanted more children. She said she loved her boys. She used to walk into their rooms in the middle of the night and watch them sleep. She said they made such interesting expressions when they were sleeping. Sometimes, I would even catch her watching me. She said all three of her boys wore their emotions on their face. I watched Sammy’s chest rise and fall. All traces of Mary’s baby were gone. Now Sammy was changing. He was turning into a young man.

I slowly pulled into one of the many parking spots. I grabbed the luggage while Dean attended to Sammy. I knew better than to take him out myself. After everything I drilled into Dean’s head about protecting Sammy, he would even protect him from me. It’s not that Dean didn’t trust me. He just knew we were in a fight, and Sammy didn’t want anything to do with me right now. I went to the front to get the key.

Dad got the key and told me the room number was nine. He chose a room towards the end so no one would bother us. Dad told me when staying in a motel you always got a room on the end, and you never let any maids in. I gently shook Sammy who had fallen asleep in the back of the Impala. He was half asleep when I walked him into the hotel room. I pulled the covers back while he lay down. I covered him up, and he looked up at me.

“I’m sorry Dean,” he apologized. He always apologized to me when he and Dad were in a fight.

“I’ll fix it Sammy just go to sleep.” Sam smiled then turned on his side and fell back asleep. Sam knew I would fix it. I made a life out of protecting that kid. That included cleaning up his messes. I didn’t even resent him for it. I loved my brother, and with everything I’ve seen. I knew the danger that was out there.

I sat on the couch, beer in hand, when Dean came in. He looked at me with concern in his eyes. He knew that lately I had been having trouble sleeping. It didn’t look like I was going to break that streak tonight.

“Dad, Sam’s just different that’s all.” He started.

“I know son. I’m not mad at Sammy. I have other things I need to talk with you about.”

“What do you need sir?” Dean got right into soldier mode. I should be stoned alive for turning my boy into a soldier so young. I did what was necessary for Sam and Dean’s safety.

“I’m going out to look up on leads tomorrow. I’ll probably be gone a few days, a week tops,” Dean’s expression didn’t wavier.

“Okay sir. I’ll take care of everything here.” Dean got silent. When I turned my head to look behind me, I saw why.

Whispers woke me up. I could hear Dean and my father talking. Once again, I was left out. Dad never discussed business with me. It was chosen for me to be a hunter. I had no say in the matter. He also didn’t give a care about my opinion. Whatever it was, if I bugged Dean enough he would tell me later. My head was swimming with thoughts of what happened to my mother because of me. I must have seen something. If I could just think. There must be something I remember, a smell maybe. I listened closer. It sounded like dad was planning to leave again. He was leaving again; without even trying to work through our issues. Suddenly, I felt a rush of anger that I couldn’t stuff back down. No, he was going to talk to me. I’m his son and I was going to demand he listen. I stood behind him wondering what to say.

“Is everything okay Sam?” Dean asked me concerned.

“No! It’s not okay!” I yelled making my anger known.

“We’re discussing business son. Go back to bed,” my dad told me condescendingly.

“Business, that’s great, because last time I checked I was a part of this business.”

“Don’t make me tell you again son,” he said annoyed.

I stood my ground. Calling his bluff, “So what, I’m too young to have an opinion on our business, but not to young to kill monsters?”

“I’m not discussing this with you Sammy.”

“Yes you are! Mom’s dead because of me. I at least deserve to know what happened.”

“I didn’t say your mom died because of you.  I was telling you she loved you by saving you.”

“Well, I know you don’t care, but I’m going to give you my opinion anyway. I think that you’re set on revenge Dad. I think you don’t care about me or Dean, and I think you resent me for mom dying. But you know what?  None of that is my problem. I mean yes it’s my fault mom died, but if I don’t want to spend my life like you that’s my decision. I’m done with hunting.  I’m done with this sick obsession. But, most of all Dad, I’m done with you.”

“You are not gonna stand there and lash out at me young man. I know you’re upset about your mother. But, I’m your father and you’re gonna give me respect.”

“Sam maybe you should.” Before I could finish my sentence Dad had Sam off his feet in the air so he was at eye level.

“I said I’m not discussing this with you boy, and I believe I told you to go to bed.” He carried Sam into the back of the room and threw him on the bed. Then he pulled the covers over him and grabbed his duffle. “I’ll call to see how you guys are doing,” he told me, before slamming the door. I listened to the Impala come to life. I heard him drive off. In the other room I could hear the sound of Sam’s heavy breathing. He was trying to stop himself from crying. I made my way to the back room unsure what to say to the poor kid. I mean, he was out of line with Dad, but he was hurt and confused. He must be feeling all kinds of emotions, blaming himself.

“Sammy I… um.”

“I don’t want to talk about it Dean.” He sniffed

“Dad doesn’t…”

“I said I don’t want to talk about.” He interrupted.

“Fine I can respect that. It’s this family’s way, to bottle these things up I mean”

“Dean just get out.” I could hear the smile coming across his face.

“I would, but, um, that other bed over there…that’s where I sleep.”

“Then go to sleep.”

“But I’m not tired.” I pretended to whine.

“Dean!” He chuckled.

“Fine,” I said as I laid on top of the covers. I was pretty beat. “Bitch.” I added before I turned over.

“Jerk” He yawned.

I waited until Dean was fully asleep. Once the sound of his breathing was even, I slowly got out of bed. I went in the next room looking for something to write on. I knew what I had to do. I couldn’t stay here, and continue to let my life be lived for me; but I couldn’t leave without letting Dean know something. I found some motel stationary and a motel pen. I wrote.

Sorry Dean I can’t do this anymore.

    Love you jerk,

                Sam

I placed the note on my pillow, then grabbed the duffle with my stuff in it. I didn’t have any money, so I knew I wouldn’t be able to go far. But I would make it hard for them to track me down. That’s if my dad would even want me found. The sun was coming up and I thumbed down the first pick up I saw.

“Where to?” The old man asked me.

“Just the next tow,.” I answered as I put the duffle in. I got in the pick up and put my hand in my pocket. I ran my fingers across the knife that was in my pocket. I didn’t like killing things, but if he tried something I wouldn’t hesitate.

Gateway, Colorado

Once I was on the freeway I picked up more speed. I couldn’t understand how Sam would think I didn’t care about him. How could he think I blamed him for what happened to his mother? I loved my son. I needed him to be safe. The thing that killed his mother wouldn’t hesitate to kill him as well. Maybe I would feel better if I actually knew how to kill the thing that killed her. Maybe if I even knew what it was. I will kill whatever it is Mary. I promise you that. Then once it’s dead I will try to give Sam the normal life he wants. I was about three hours away from my boys. I finally made it to Gateway, Colorado. I met up with one of Bobby’s contacts. He was a fortune teller that said he knew something about Mary’s past. I was hoping I could get some insight on why this thing attacked my family.

Dove Creek, Colorado

I slept in pretty late. I was allowed, after staying up for the whole trip. Sammy was probably watching some dumb cartoons in the other room. I would steal the remote from him. It was a big brother’s prerogative to bully their little brother. Dad left me with the money. Sam was probably starving. I needed to go pick up some cereal or something for breakfast. I rubbed my eyes, and jumped out of bed. I went in the other room and there was no sign of Sam. I went to the bathroom door and knocked. I slowly opened the door. There was no sign of Sammy. He left the motel. I was going to give him a major ass kicking for this. I went outside to look for him. I thought maybe he found some kids to play with. There wasn’t even any sign of any other people at the motel, much less children. I went back to the motel. Sam’s duffel was gone. I went back to the room to look for clues. There was a small piece of paper on his pillow. I read the note.

Sorry Dean I can’t do this anymore

   Love you jerk,

                             Sam

I immediately felt bile rise in my throat. I started pacing. He was getting an even bigger ass kicking for this. I took a deep breath. I tried to calm down. He didn’t have any money. He couldn’t get far. I put on my shoes. I left the motel intending to tear Dove Creek apart looking for my little brother.

Flagstaff, Arizona

I was five hours away from Dean now. I got off in each town and got in a different pick up truck. I thought it would be harder for my dad to find me if each driver only saw me for about an hour. I also went into stores and gas stations as little as possible. The less people who could identify me the better. I decided Flagstaff would be far enough. Dean and my dad wouldn’t even think I’d get that far. I needed money, and a place to stay. I saw a park a block from the gas station. I would sleep there until I could find a place. First thing was to find a job. I kept walking around trying to find an answer.

Dove, Creek

It had been about a week since Sam had gone missing. I had left no rock unturned. He must have left Dove Creek. It was time for me to call my Dad. I dialed his number hoping for the best. He answered on the first ring.

“Hey Dean I’m on my way home. I’m about 30 minutes out. I feel like the whole trip was for nothing.”

“When you get here Dad I have something to tell you.”

“What?” He asked annoyed.

“I think it needs to be said in person.”

I pulled into the motel I had left my boys at. My stomach was in knots. I knew something was wrong. “Dean!” I yelled as I threw my bags on the floor.

“Yea Dad.” He said as he came in the room terror in his eyes.

“What’s the news?” I asked concerned.

“Sam’s gone.” He said simply.

“Gone?” I said stunned. “What do you mean gone?”

“He ran away. He took his stuff. He left a note, but no information. I searched everywhere. He must have left Dove Creek.” He paused “Dad?” He asked concerned. He could see that I was trying to control my anger. I grabbed him by the shirt collar and pushed him against the wall.

“How long?” I yelled. Dean tried to catch his breath. I slammed him again “How long!”

“About a week.” He answered.

“Damn it Dean.” I said releasing him. “Do you have any idea what could happen to him? After everything you’ve seen, everything this family has been through, I’d think you’d watch him more closely.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No! I don’t want to hear it.” I pulled him by the collar again, and yelled right in his face. “Something like this happens and you pick up the damn phone and call me!” I said fiercely. “Why didn’t you call?” I demanded. Then I looked into my boys eyes. He didn’t have to answer. I knew the answer. He was scared of what I would do. My own son was terrified of me. I let him go. How could I make my son be scared of me? And the worst father of the year award goes to: John Winchester. “There’s nothing we can do about why he ran away now. Right now we have to find him. Get everything in the car and let’s go.”

Dad said we should go the opposite way he went when he left; because he was the one Sam was running from. Sam had covered his tracks pretty well. We had to go to five gas stations in one town before we could find someone who recognized him. But, a cashier had recognized him. He said he was a hoodlum for using the bathroom without buying anything. We searched each town looking for places he might stay. We kept turning up empty handed until we made it to Flagstaff.

Flagstaff, Arizona

When we reached Flagstaff Dad suggested we turn around. “I don’t think he would make it this far.”

“He would if he was determined.” I said assuredly.

“You think he might be here?” He asked.

“I know that kid Dad. And, this looks like a place he would want to stay.”

“Why do you say that?” He asked interested.

“It screams normal.”

“Fine we’ll split up, and meet back at this gas station. If we don’t find him we’ll turn back.”

We split up, and I started knocking on peoples doors. I found some old guy that said he recognized him. He said that Sam was a delight, and mowed his lawn at half price. I asked the man if he knew where Sam lived. He didn’t look eager to rat Sam out. After I explained to him that Sam was a run away, and he could be charged with aiding and abetting, I pulled that out of my butt, he pointed me in the right direction.

After four or five hours went by, I found myself back at the gas station waiting for Dean. As the days kept going on, I found myself growing more terrified. It had been about two weeks since Sam had run away, and the scenarios screamed in my head. “What if?” was my favorite game these days. What if something found him? What if a demon or something came after him? Then there were the normal fears. What if someone tries to kidnap him?

I walked into the trailer park the old man had told me he thought Sam lived at. As soon as I was there I saw Sam laughing, and playing then he ran inside a trailer. I followed him inside the trailer. “Sam.” I said simply

He turned around startled. “Dean. Wh…what are you doing here.” He stuttered

“No the question is what the hell are you doing here? I’m obviously here to get you. What the hell were you thinking?” I said angered. Then a dog came and stood beside Sam, and started viciously barking at me. He was getting nervous about me yelling at Sam.

“It’s okay bones.” Sam said in a soothing voice.

“Bones? When did you have the time to get a dog?”

“He was a stray. I feed him, and let him in at night.”

“Okay, more to the point. I owe you a major ass kicking Sam.”

“Dean, this has nothing to do with you. I can’t handle Dad anymore. I need to find my own way.”

“This has nothing to do with me?” I said enraged. “This has everything to do with me. What do you expect me to do? Do you want me to turn away while you risk your life? We’re supposed to be brothers. It’s supposed to be you and me Sammy. You’re my brother I would do anything for you even put you above Dad. You can’t put up with Dad for me?”

“It’s not like that Dean.”

“Not to mention the fact of what could have happened to you.” I ignored him.

“I can take care of myself Dean.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah, really.” He said sure of himself.

“Okay, what if the thing that killed mom comes after you? It’s going to be pretty hard to kill it considering we don’t even know what the hell it is” I was in his face now. He swallowed loudly.

“If the thing comes after me I say we go ahead and let it have me.” His voice shook.

“Is that what this is about?” I asked shocked. “Listen up Sam, cause I’m only going to say this once. What happened to mom wasn’t your fault. She saved you, because she would rather die then live without you, and that is not your fault.” At that Sam ran into my arms. I wasn’t really big on the cuddly hug stuff, but he needed to hear this now. I held him for a minute and repeated. “It’s not your fault.” He let go and straightened himself out. “Now get your stuff and lets go, and please no more chick flick moments.”

“Okay, jerk.” He smirked.

“Bitch.” I answered with a smirk.

Dean took me to the gas station my dad was waiting at. Dean told me he was very angry. I felt sick on the walk over. I saw him by the Impala standing and waiting for Dean. He turned around and saw us. I approached him bracing myself for the storm. Once I was close to him he swept me up in his arms.

When Dean arrived with Sammy I couldn’t stop my heart from leaping for joy. I should be pissed, but all I could feel was relief, and happiness. Once he was close enough he was in my arms. I squeezed him then set him on his feet. “Just so you know, I am very angry with you.” I hugged him again. “And you are in so much trouble.” I hugged him once more. “And if you do that again I’ll kill you.”

The End

Sam nervously sat watching his brother as the silence that hung between them threatened to smother him with the unadulterated magnitude of its weight. He sat and watched as his brother’s emotions danced across his face and through his eyes in a macabre battle for dominance; finally coming to an end when something that could have only been described as a combination of indignant hurt and cold acceptance settled in.

He watched as his brother struggled to regain control, to slip his mask back into place. To once again wrap himself in the false sense of security that the walls he so furiously fought to build, so ineffectually provided. He watched and felt his heart break as the control his brother so desperately needed continued to elude him.

Seeing Dean like this was nothing new to Sam, his brother was a living breathing poster child for burying your emotions so deep creating the illusion that they weren’t there at all and making it all to easy to believe. But, as Sam had often warned his older sibling all that burying and hiding would eventually catch up to him and it looked as if that time was now.

Dean felt his brother’s eyes on him. He felt the weight of Sam’s concern and for once he didn’t care. What he had seen. What he had heard. What he had felt, had cut him to the quick; had left him wanting, no needing, Sam to feel the pain that he, himself, was feeling. He felt himself struggling to regain his control and although it would have been welcome and was most desired he pushed it down and allowed, in a rare occurrence, his inner being to be exposed. Dean waited for what he was sure to come, and God bless him, Sam didn’t disappoint….

“Dean,” Sam started in that voice that told him so clearly that he wanted to talk and wouldn’t take no for answer. That tone that Sam had masterfully crafted into a melody of conscience concern and caring, a tone that at this very moment was all Dean needed to let loose of his emotions and let it all out.

“Not now Sam,” Dean said his voice sounding tired and small, every intention being set on talking, but not making it easy for Sam.

“Dean, please,” Sam tried again, desperation coloring his words, painting a picture of just how worried he was over his brother’s current state of mind and then he said it, those two words that allowed the dam to break, that gave Dean the permission he had been seeking to really let go; he said, “I’m sorry.”

Dean felt his body tense, his heart began to hammer in his chest and for a moment he thought. ‘Well this is it. No turning back now,’ and he didn’t care. He needed this. He needed Sam to understand. He wanted Sam to hurt. “Oh, you’re sorry? You’re sorry, Sammy? Do you even know what you’re apologizing for? Do you,” the tone of Dean’s voice and the way he violently jumped up from the bed he had been sitting on caused Sam to flinch and push himself and the chair he was sitting in back and away from his brother.

Dean didn’t notice Sam’s reaction to his outburst, or at least if he did he didn’t show it because he kept right on talking his eyes reflecting the same far away quality that his voice now held. “Damn it Sammy, after all we’ve been through; after all I have given up, sacrificed,” Dean’s shoulder’s slumped and he sat heavily back down on the bed, “to find out that your idea of paradise is when you’re away from me…..well to be honest that’s a bitch of a pill to swallow. To find out that two of your happiest memories where two of the worst moments in my life….well Sammy I got to tell you; I knew you could be selfish, but man this really takes the cake.”

Dean ran a hand over his face and let out a soft sigh. He raised his eyes and made sure that his brother’s eyes were locked with his before he continued speaking, “That little trip you took all by yourself to Flagstaff; well that may have been Heaven to you but let me tell you bro, it was Hell for me. When dad got back and found out you had gone missing, he didn’t just yell, Sam, he……” Dean’s voice cracked and he choked over the words unable to continue.

Sam who had been quietly listening to his brother took his queue and prompted his brother with a question, “He what, Dean? What did dad do?”

Dean swallowed hard against the lump that had formed in his throat and he pushed himself forward, his eyes taking on a haunted look as the memory of what had happened played itself like a movie in his mind while he conveyed the story to his younger brother.

“Dad had just got back from an exceptionally difficult hunt. He had been away from us longer than he had wanted to and he hadn’t left on a good note to begin with. You remember that don’t you Sam,” Dean asked raising his eyebrows ever so slightly a humorless smile ghosting over his lips.

Sam’s eyes fell, he remembered; of course he remembered. He had been fighting with their father for a week and a half about how ridiculous his rule about not being allowed to go out with his friends was. Sam had been asked to house sit with, Marty, one of his friends, and John vehemently refused to let him. He had explained that he didn’t like the idea of Sam staying overnight at a friend’s while he was home, but, since he was going on a hunt he cared for that idea even less.

Sam kept pushing and the morning John left, he and Sam had a major blowout that had landed Dean, once again, in the middle. John left angry and had given Dean the order that Sam was grounded until he returned home from the hunt. He made it clear that it was Dean’s responsibility to make sure his brother followed through with the punishment.

“Yeah, you remember don’t you,” it was more a statement than a question, “You and dad had been fighting for a week over you getting to stay with your friend and he left pissed off leaving me, alone, to deal with you. You went out of your way to make me miserable. You even went so far as to sneak over to your friend’s aunt’s hoping I wouldn’t find you. But, I did. I found you and dragged your scrawny ass home.

You fought with me all the way home. You called me everything under the sun. Hell, you even threw a punch or two at me. Do you have any idea how much it hurt me to not let you stay? If it had been up to me I would’ve just let it go; but it wasn’t. Dad had told me you were grounded, but most importantly he had told you that you weren’t allowed to stay over.

When we got back to the house I told you to go to your room and stay there until dinner. But, you didn’t stay in your room did you,” Dean’s voice started out soft and low but grew harder and louder as he continued on, “Hell, you didn’t even stay in the house. You were so angry with both me and dad that you took off; Sammy, you didn’t leave a note or anything, you just left.

When I went to our room the window was open and you were gone. I called all your friends, checked out all your favorite places but you were no where to be found. I was in full panic mode.

I had thought about calling Bobby, Pastor Jim, anyone but I was too afraid to; I didn’t want dad to find out you had gone missing. I thought I could find you before he got home. I guess I was wrong. I spent every waking hour looking for you. I didn’t eat, I barely slept.

This went on for a week or so.  I would go out during the day looking for you and at night I would go home and wait by the phone for you to call. I would get home and see that dad had left a message or two and could tell by his voice that he was worried and growing more and more irritated as his calls went unanswered.

One day I came home, exhausted and fully prepared to call someone, anyone for help; but, it was too late. I drove into the driveway and almost crashed into dad’s truck. I turned off the car and sat behind the wheel too scared to go inside. I had thought about starting her back up and leaving but dad had come out of the house and I realized the best move was to go inside and face the music.

I couldn’t look at him. He stood there on the porch his arms folded across his chest with that look he gets; you know, the one that would send even the most self respecting demon running for cover.

By the look of him I could tell that he wasn’t in any mood for any crap. I walked up the porch steps and before I had the chance to even say hi, he grabbed me by the front of my shirt and threw me inside, slamming the door hard behind us. I tripped over my own feet and fell. I put my hands out in front of me and managed to catch myself before I landed face first on the living room floor. Dad grabbed me by the shirt collar and jerked me up. To say he was pissed would have been an understatement.

He turned me around, gripped my forearms tight and slammed me hard into the wall. I heard it crack with the force in which I had come into contact with it and felt the air leave my lungs as it was knocked out of me. I stood there dazed; he started screaming at me, calling me stupid and asked me over and over why I hadn’t kept a better eye on you. He said that after what happened with the Strigha, all those years ago, that he couldn’t believe I wouldn’t have kept a better eye on you.

I could smell the whiskey on his breath and knew that reasoning with him was a lost cause; he was drunk and angry and I was going to have to ride this one out. I stood there listening to him and I began to believe he was right. It was my fault you were gone, I should have known not to have left you in our room alone that long. I should have kept a better eye on you.”

Sam let out an exasperated huff that caused his older sibling to pause. “Dean there wasn’t anything you could have done differently that would have kept me from running away. Sure, you could have kept me tied to you, but as soon as you needed to use the bathroom I would have bolted, that is if you didn’t make me go in with you. I was angry with you and dad and I wanted to get away. If I had known what was going to happen to you…..” Sam faltered his voice becoming thick with emotion, “Dean, you have to believe me, I wouldn’t have left if I had known dad was going to do that to you.”

“Yeah well, that’s a mute point now isn’t it Sam,” Dean continued his voice sharp, the emotion it held cutting deep into Sam’s soul, “because you did leave.” Dean’s eyes flashed and they took on a distant look, “Oh, he didn’t stop with calling me names and slamming me into the wall. No, Sammy, he decided that this time he was going to make sure that I understood the importance of watching out for you and that failure to do so properly had consequences; dire ones.

By the time he was finished I had a concussion, bruised ribs, a broken nose, black eyes and a broken arm. I had seen him mad before, hell I’d even been worked over by him before but never like this. He passed out and I crawled back to the bedroom. I was hurting so bad and knew that I needed help, but I didn’t want to risk setting him off again.

I took a couple of left over pain killers and went to bed. By the morning my arm had become distended and my eyes were practically swollen shut. I had started to run a fever and felt as if I had gone twenty rounds with a semi and lost.

Dad came in; he had sobered up, and told me that he was taking me to see some friend of Bobby’s who ran a clinic in the area. This friend knew about hunters and treated them free of charge and with the greatest of discretion. He set my arm, wrapped my ribs, prescribed more pain killers and had suggested that I stay put in one place and get plenty of rest.

Dad kindly thanked the man but explained that we needed to find you and that I would be fine, I could rest in the car while he drove. As we pulled away from the clinic dad told me that he had a lead on where you might be. He had made some calls, while the doc was fixing me up and had heard that another hunter had seen you around the Flagstaff area.

The ride to Flagstaff was an uncomfortable one. Dad was still mad as hell that I had let you run away and he refused to talk to me any more than he had to. I tried to apologize to him, tell him I was sorry, but he just kept telling me to shut up.

By the time we had tracked you down; he had settled some and started to treat me like he had before. He did make it clear to me that you weren’t to know what had happened, and believe me I wasn’t about to defy him on that one,” Dean stopped and let out a strangled laugh. “ Gee, Sammy, I guess that explains a lot. You asked me why I always blindly followed dad’s orders, well now you know.” Dean looked down at his hands and he fell silent unable to continue.

“Son of a,” Sam softly blew out, “Dean, I never knew. The way you talked about dad it was as if you idolized him. I don’t get it. He did that to you and you never told anyone. You kept protecting him, defending him; Dean why did you stay? Why didn’t you leave?”

“I couldn’t. I couldn’t leave you alone with him. Besides he was dad, you know, dad. I did look up to him. He was larger than life. He was family. Sammy, you and dad were the only family I had left and I wasn’t going to turn my back on it. I know he loved us and he was only doing the best he could.  Then when you left for Stanford, he became the only family I had.”

“Dean, you could have come with me. You could have left him behind; gotten out. You didn’t have to stay.”

“That’s just it, Sam, I couldn’t. He wasn’t always like that, you know. Oh, sure he was hard us on and would yell a lot; but he wasn’t ever really that violent. I guess I always just forgave him because I knew he was in a lot of pain over losing mom,” Dean held his hand out before Sam could interrupt, “Don’t have to say it, Sammy, I know, years had gone by, but the sting of that kind of loss, is one that I can only imagine time couldn’t heal or soften.”

“That may be so, but, Dean that still didn’t give him the right to take it out on you. I was the one who ran away. I was the one who constantly challenged him. If he was going to do that to anyone it should have been me,” Sam gently insisted.

“Yeah, well what’s done is done. We can’t change it,” Dean replied his voice sounding tired and drawn, “Look it’s late and I’m tired.” He stood up from the bed, grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste out of his duffel along with a fresh pair of boxers and a clean T-shirt and headed into the bathroom.

Sam watched as his brother closed the bathroom door. He listened for the water to turn on in the shower before he changed into his sleep clothes. Sam turned on the light that sat on the nightstand between his bed and Dean’s and then he turned off the overhead light. He slipped into bed and listened to the water as it fell from the shower head. Turning on his side, so that he was facing his brother’s bed he whispered, “I am sorry Dean, I really am.”

Dean stood under the shower’s hot spray and let the water’s warmth work the kinks out of his neck and back muscles.  He thought telling Sam would make him feel better, but the truth of the matter was it didn’t. Too much had happened. Too much had changed since he had first reunited with his brother four years ago.  His world was constantly being turned upside down and this latest twist was just another hole punched in his already beaten and battered soul.

Sam had said he was sorry. He had said that he would have never left if he had known dad was going to do what he did, but he had never said that he wouldn’t have left if he had known how much his leaving would have hurt, him. Sam didn’t get it and he wasn’t sure he ever would.

Dean turned off the shower, brushed his teeth, pulled on his sleep clothes and headed to bed. He watched Sam as he slept, his chest rising and falling with each breath he took. Dean, felt a twinge in his chest as he realized that he was alone, even though Sam was there, he was still alone. His entire life everyone he had ever cared about or needed had abandoned him; starting with his dad, then Sam and now God. Maybe Zach was right, the fault lied with him and no one else. He slid into bed, turned off the light and settled in for another restless night.

Before I start I’m going to tell you what the location the story is based on, if it’s in a hotel, house, motel, or store or bank. Any way the location is flagstaff Arizona in a hotel called Hotel Monte Vista near route 66. It’s been open sense 1926. I typed in google haunted area’s in Flagstaff Arizona I found this hotel and clicked the link and in the link was to the side a link that said ghosts stories I clicked it and it was guests and staff that made claims that they saw these ghostly people. Any way to my point back then way before fancy electronics in the 1926 and so on time period this hotel unexpectedly hosted robbers, murders, but also tourists, locals but they are also well know to host rich and famous but no one from this time period from what I know any way what happened back then is people have been suffocated to death, thrown out of the highest window and shot to death & stabbed to death thinking of that I thought it would be the perfect spot for Dean and Sam to go to so I thought really hard cause I wanted to put [my own creativity] into the story and add Dean and Sam in it all as I needed was a haunted location and something for Dean and Sam to go after any way now to the story.

The Hotel Monte Vista mystery It’s been a few months or so since Roy and Walt Killed Dean and Sam, but ever since Dean and Sam came back to life from their short visit to heaven they have been looking for Roy and Walt so they can get revenge and teach them a lesson or two. But while on their search the brothers still continue the family business and kill anything Supernatural causing a threat to any body unaware and uneducated about the Supernatural so on like you know.

One day they were near Arizona in a motel and saw on the news a hotel in Flagstaff Arizona called Hotel Mote Vista the reporter said, “We are once again in front of  Hotel Monte Vista in Flagstaff Arizona. They recently had their 6th murder in a week we interviewed the staff in the hotel and guests no knows who is doing this, no sees any one doing this so our question is, Who is murdering the guests? How do they get in the rooms with out a key to the rooms? How do they clean up their tracks so quickly so good and get out so quickly that it looks like a suicide? Is it suicide or murder? We may never know.” And on that note Sam says “Dean a case we gotta go” Dean says “Yeah yeah I know I’m not too happy going cause of the fact that’s one of the spot’s you decided to run away I thought you were hurt or dead but I’ll go and deal with it but you better not run away again if you do I’ll find you and put you on a tougher leash”

Sam says “ Ok don’t worry I won’t run away again that was a long time ago put past in the past” Dean says “Don’t worry I’m going to worry cause when your up set you have a rep of running away now just help pack and get ready so we can get this case done and over with and get out of there” Sam helps Dean pack and look up directions to find a motel near the hotel and they right away get down their to check it out and work the case. After they check in the near by motel and unpack and get dressed in their FBI suits with their FBI ID’s  they go and interview staff first getting an Idea on what’s been going on here asking the usual questions, Dean say’s “Now these questions might seem strange but it’s normal routine questions we have to ask, Have you seen anything strange going on lights flickering , cold spots, sulfur, strange sounds or strange voices any cow mutilations” staff say’s “No you crazy sometimes we get cold spots probably cause the air conditioner needs fixing sometimes strange sounds and sounds that sounds like strange voices probably the AC trying to work correctly.”

Sam say’s “What is the history of this hotel?” Staff  say’s “This hotel has been open since 1926 it has unexpectedly hosted murders and robbers but also hosts locals, tourists and has hosted the rich and famous some guests say they see the ghosts of the unlucky murders that died in the middle of a crime & if they live to see the next day after seeing and getting attacked they’re lucky but that’s just ghost story’s guest’s make up not real” Dean says “Do you have the witness’s names and location” the staff gave 2 long time local’s names and what houses, now that Dean and Sam Know what they are dealing with they go to the locals houses ask for the names of the ghosts and if their bodies were buried if so where or cremated Sam looks up directions to the grave yard but before they go they have to think about the safety of the hotel guests and staff so they go back to the hotel only to see the hotel manager & the staff they interviewed waiting for them in the lobby with the police. Manager says “We looked you up you two aren’t really FBI, What are your real names?” Dean says “Now we can explain that I’m Dean Whenchester this my brother Sam Winchester we hunt anything Supernatural causing a threat to people” Staff  say “ Your crazy the only thing Supernatural causing a threat to people is you two crazy people making a joke out of a real crime crisis” manager say’s “you can no longer come with in 60 feet of the hotel.” And after a few day’s the manager had a near death experience with one of the ghosts remembering the biss card Dean and Same gave him with their cell numbers and remembering their names he called up Sam and said. “Hey Sam you and your brother free?” Sam say’s “yeah what’s up?” manager say’s “sorry for not believing you and causing so much trouble for you two there are ghosts and people are in danger  I like to think about my guest’s and staff safety, Do you think you & Dean could come down and get rid of the ghosts?” Sam say’s “Yeah it’s ok  no problem were used to this happening well be right there, Dean wake up, (nudges Dean) the case is back on were going stop these ghosts.” Dean say’s “Ok ok great I’ll get dressed but when I get down there I’m going to tell him what’s what with rules I’m sick of these people being so unappreciative of our work to keep everyone safe.” Sam say’s “Dean just get dressed and be good you’ve been in the biss long enough to know this kind of stuff is normal it happens to us all the time.” Dean “Yeah whatever I don’t care this how it’s going to go if the people are going to be unappreciative I’m going to be assertive and set down the rules and show them what’s what now lets get down there and get this case done and over with I don’t like being here.”  so Dean and Sam go to the hotel right away knowing the charges are dropped seeing the manager waiting for them in the lobby the manager takes them in his office to talk but as soon as they got in there and closed the door and they sat down at the desk Dean says “ok lessen her chuckles this is how it’s going to go you are going to lessen to me and be flexible so this goes smoothly you are going to first help me and Sam evacuate everybody staff & guests from the building temporally and stay with the guests & staff keeping them calm and out of the building  and me Sam are going to find items the ghosts are attached to throw in their grave and burn when we come back from the grave yard and give the ok signal you then can let everybody in I don’t want to walk around and see one staff or guest in the hotel got it.” With a nervous but confused voice & face the manager said “yes sir got it.” Knowing arguing probably would be a bad choice Sam said “Sorry about my brother he gets like this he’s working on it our job just get’s very stress full and hard I’m trying to get him to find better way’s to handle his stress but no one in the building while searching for item’s the ghosts are attached to will be helpful cause trying to protect people and gather items is really hard for us to do.” At 9:00 PM the manager evacuated the building with a logical reason giving Dean and Sam long enough to do what they need to do as Dean holds the Salt gun following Sam making sure he’s safe as he searches for item’s the ghost’s are attached to Dean say’s “come on Sam hurry up before the ghosts catch on to what were doing” Sam says “Dean ok it doesn’t help when you rush and when you say that your giving the ghosts a clue on what were doing getting us closer to trouble.” But eventually the ghosts find out what their doing and their not going down with out a fight as Dean fights off ghosts Sam collects items once he gets all the item’s he need he yell’s “Dean car let’s go!” Dean shoots the ghosts follows behind Sam making sure nothing happens breaking down doors to get to the lobby once in the lobby they break down the door out to get in the car once in the car they race off to the grave yard but unfortunately the ghosts followed them to the grave yard as Sam fight’s off ghosts Dean deals with the graves once all the graves are digged up he throws each item belonging to each body in the grave and set each one on fire once that was done the Dean and Sam went back to the hotel and gave the ok signal and helped the manger get staff and guests settled in the hotel letting them get back to what they were doing the manager brought them in his office and said “Thank you so much you saved everybody and the hotel” Sam say’s “No problem were happy to help I’m glad everything is ok” Dean says “yeah ok your welcome but don’t say I didn’t do anything for you.” Sam gives Dean a hear we go again Dean be nice look Sam says “Sorry again for my brother as I said he’s working on it.” manager say’s “It’s ok I’m use to it sometimes I get guests that are very touchy with attitude and expectations.” and on that note Sam smiles waves bye and walks out to the car with Dean and they drive off  to continue their search for Roy and Walt for revenge and to continue the family biss together and stop anything Supernatural causing a threat to people while searching for Roy and Walt to get revenge together.

The End

Story made by: Alissa Avey

“Dad I am not a baby!” Dean protested in the small motel bed.

John sighed as tried to keep a straight face “Look Dean, you believe there are ghosts?” Dean nodded. “Demons?” Another nod. “Werewolves?” Nod. “Well then why don't you believe in this?”

Dean rolled his eyes “Because dad everyone knows there isn't a Santa Claus.” At eight Dean had that all encompassing tone children possessed when they knew how the world worked. At almost nine, Dean was a wise old sage on everything in general. There was no doubt or wavering from his point, what he knew was what he knew.

And he knew there wasn't a Santa Claus.

At his last school Kelly Ayers had told him that Santa Claus was just a story they told little kids to make them go to bed on Christmas day and it was actually parents who bought gifts. Which kinda made sense to Dean since that Christmas he had gotten three comic books and a six pack of Pepsi...all things easily bought at the local corner store instead of made at the North Pole. He had decided not to inform his dad that he had been wise to his ruse...and just let sleepy dogs lie wherever they lay.

Or something like that.

But here it was, Christmas 1987 and John was treating him like a baby. I mean sure sell that Santa Claus stuff to Sammy, he was only four, he ate that junk up. But at almost nine, Dean had decided it was time to let go of childish things and grow up some. So as he sat in his faded blue pajama bottoms and Motley Crue t shirt in bed, he was not going to let his father lie to him some more. Sammy was asleep, only men awake now...so why not just tell the truth?

“Look Dean” John said in a calm and even voice “I am trying to tell you. I need to go out and if Santa Claus shows up I need you to tell him something.”

Dean gave his dad another look, as a slight crease appeared on his forehead. The first sign of him cracking “But dad...how can he be real?”

John gestured with his hands “All stories come from somewhere Dean.” he said allowing himself some time to act it out “In fact in his off time, when he isn't delivering presents, he's a hunter.”

“What?” Dean asked in half shock and half disbelief.

John nodded “Uh-huh. Where do you think the knows when you've been naughty thing comes from? He uses his...um power to find evil and hunt it down.”

“And he kills him with his trained reindeer?” Dean asked.

John now fought not to burst out laughing “How did you know? That's right!”

“I knew it!” Dean said pumping his fist in victory “I knew that red nose meant something.”

John coughed to cover his laugh “Right so on Christmas, he comes and drops off presents for good hunters and their kids all over the world.”

Dean's eyes got wide, his earlier position of not believing in Santa completely abandoned “Have you been good dad?”

John put his most sincere face forward “Well that's the thing Dean...I need to go to church and make sure. You know...get forgiven and all that.”

Dena nodded quickly “Right so you go do that...and we get presents?”

The senior Winchester nodded “Yep, so I need you to tell Santa something if I miss him while I am at church.”

“Hold on!” Dean said jumping out of bed and running to the table. He snatched a pad of motel stationary and a pen and ran back and sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes wide as he looked at his dad “Ok shoot.”

John covered his face from the huge smile as he looked at the earnest look on Dean's face. “Ok here's the message...Tell him Sam has been great and Dean has been...” Dean leaned in as he waited for the last word “...pretty good as well.”

“Pretty good?” Dean exclaimed, not writing the last part down.

John looked at him in mock seriousness “Dean you did clock your gym teacher in Kentucky.”

Dean's bottom lip jutted out as he scowled “That guy was a jerk!”

“He was trying to explain to you why throwing a dodge ball at someone's head was not right.”

“Still a jerk.” Dean muttered.

“And there was the time you kicked that older kid in Mississippi.” John brought up.

“He was looking at me like I was a freak!” Dean explained.

“He was nearsighted Dean, he couldn't even see you from where you were standing.”

“That's his story.” Dean huffed as he crossed his arms across his chest.'

“Look Dean...I have to tell Santa the truth...I mean he knows it already. You know he knows...”

Dean held up a small hand “Yeah yeah. He knows everything.”

“I'm sure he'll being you something as well Dean.” John said putting a hand around his son's back “Just give him my message ok?”

Dean just nodded as he looked at the ground “That's ok dad. I'll tell him.”

John's faith in the plan wavered for a moment. Bobby was the one who had said the kids needed something special for this Christmas. Something to bring the magic of the season back into their eyes. John had agreed...but was lost in how to do that. That was when Bobby outlined his plan.

“Ok I'll try to be back as quickly as possible.” John said standing and slipping his jacket on “Just pass that along in case I miss him.”

Dean nodded again as he climbed back into bed. He looked like someone had kicked him in the teeth. John was about to falter but he knew it would be forgotten in a little while. Grabbing his keys he locked the door behind him and waked to the Impala.

Dean heard the car start up and take off out of the parking lot. Leaving the room completely silent. Dean laid there as his mind raced...how was he supposed to know Santa was real? He had just written him off as a stupid story so what did it care how he acted during the year? But if he was real...and he was going to be here? He was in serious trouble. Cause all dad brought up was the stuff he knew of, if Santa had that whole knows everything gig going for him...Dean was hosed. How was he going to explain that?

Minutes turned into a half hour and Dean had almost dozed off when he heard the motel room door open. He opened one eye and saw a red and white form sneak into the room quietly. Dean held his breath as Santa closed the door behind him. Holy crap! He WAS real. He had a small sack with him and he began to move over to the table with quiet steps.

Dean took a deep breath, now or never.

Sitting up he said in a low voice “Mr. Claus?”

Santa paused and looked back at the young boy “Dean Winchester? Why are you awake?”

Dean grabbed the pad from the table “I have a message for you from my dad.”

Santa paused “Well ok, what is it?”

Dean looked down at the pad and tried to find some way out of his predicament...and found nothing. He was pinched for sure. Putting the pad down he said “My dad wanted you to know that Sammy was extra good this year. He took his bath without fussing all the time and never complained about not having the right cereal or eating Spaghettios three nights in a row. He's doing really good in school and he is already reading on his own. And even though he doesn't know about the whole hunter thing...he is extra brave.”

Santa stood there blinking for a few seconds “That's it?”

Dean nodded.

“Anything else?” the old man asked.

“No sir. Just that he deserved extra stuff this year. Anything you got...Sam isn't picky. He'll love it no matter what.” Dean said in that same level voice.

Santa came closer and sat down at the edge of the bed “And what about you?”

Dean looked down and sighed “I'm not a very good kid sir. I'm sure you know that. I mean I try...but it's hard.” he felt his chest tighten up but he pressed on “Like the kid I hit in the head with the dodge ball, he had joked that my mom musta dressed me that morning cause my clothes looked stupid when it was all I had clean so I had to wear it and he shouldn't say stuff about my mom cause she's dead and that's not fair and the guy I hit in Mississippi I thought was staring at Sam weird and I didn't know he was half blind and I said I was sorry afterwards but he bawled like a baby anyways and I didn't mean to slit that guys tires in Memphis but he said that dad's car was a penis car and I don't know what that means but that car is the coolest car this side of KITT and no one gets away with calling it anything and the time I unscrewed all the salt shaker's in that diner was because the waitress gave us a look when we ordered more pie because we had been on the road for like forever and was still hungry and I saw how dad looked ashamed at the way she shook her head and the time...”

Santa put a hand out and paused the young man in midbreath “Dean...” Dean stopped and looked up at Santa with tears in his eyes “What are you trying to say?”

Dean sniffled “Please Mister Claus, don't punish Sammy cause I'm a bad kid. Give me the charcoal or whatever it is you do for that but give him some toys...cause he's basically a good kid...and he doesn't have any toys.” Dean sniffled again “And he's a kid...he deserves some toys.” Dean wasn't sure but it looked like Santa was crying also but that was stupid.

“Look Dean” Santa said after a few seconds “I think you're a great kid. You take care of your brother and make sure he is taken care of, no matter how busy your dad gets you never complain, never shirk your responsibilities and you are always there for him.” He put a gloved hand on Deans face “And that makes you the best kind of kid of all.”

Dean blinked back tears “But I was bad...” he said.

“Dean” Santa said, in that same voice dad used when he didn't want his son arguing with him “Trust me. You're a great kid.”

Dean wiped his nose as Santa opened his bag up and pulled out a wrapped present “Here.” he said “Normally you would have to wait, but I think in this case, you can open it now.”

Dean's eyes got wide as he took the package with reverence “You mean it? For me?”

Santa nodded.

Dean opened it and found a black leather bracelet in it. He pulled it out, seeing it would fit him, but could be made much larger as well. “What is it?” he asked.

Santa helped him out it on “When your father was in the Marines, his unit had a set of these made up. All of them had one, each one black leather like this.” he said making sure it was on tight.

Dean held up his arm and looked at it “What's it mean?”

Santa leaned back “It means you are a warrior.” he said with obvious pride “You are part of a unit and they count on you just like you count on them.”

Dean touched it lightly “What unit?”

Santa smiled “Winchester Hunter Unit.” he said “You're 2nd in command.”

Dean's eyes got wide “Really?”

“Really.”

Dean pulled the leather to his chest “Thank you Santa.”

Santa held his arms open and the boy hugged him hard “Merry Christmas Dean.”

Dean hugged him back as hard as he could, he couldn't stop crying. Santa held him until he was cried out and then the man laid him back into bed. With a tired voice Dean asked “But you brought Sammy something right?”

Santa smiled again “Yes Dean, I brought him some toys.”

Dean smiled as he snuggled up in his covers “Good. He's stinky...but he's a good brother.”

Santa looked down at the drowsy child and murmured “Not as good as you are.” But Dean was already asleep.

John set out the rest of the presents and began to creep out of the motel when he heard a gasp. He looked over and saw Sam sitting up in bed, eyes wide in shock. John put a finger to his beard and made a shhing motion. Sam nodded unblinking as he walked out of the motel room, locking the door behind him.

John stood outside of the door as he heard a muffled “DEAN! DEAN! WAKE UP!! SANTA WAS HERE!”

His smile was still there when he went around the corner and found Bobby sitting in his truck waiting to take John back to the Impala. As he got into the truck Bobby asked “Well?”

“You are the smartest man I know Bobby Singer.” his voice still cracking with emotion.

Bobby grinned and nodded as he shifted into drive “And don't you forget it.” After a few minutes he said “Merry Christmas John.”

“Merry Christmas Bobby.”

And to all...a good night.

It was John’s before it was Dean’s.

Mary had bought it for him the first Christmas they were together, there was a faded photo somewhere of his face when he opened the package and saw it. There was a combination of surprise and joy, like he had suddenly discovered his best friend he had never met. He had worn it everywhere, until it was no longer a leather jacket but a second skin. For the next few years he was never without it.

And then he walked into the nursery.

It had sat in the trunk of the Impala for almost two years when Dean found it. They were in the middle of Nowhere, Montana: Population: Zilch. Word was there was something going bump in the night, and that meant Team Winchester was on the case. Well not Team Winchester, Team John with weapon cleaning and laundry detail by Team Dean.

Excessive whining and complaining by Team Sam.

They had been holed up in what was laughably called a hotel by its owner while John scouted the great wide nothing that surrounded the town. He had rented something with four wheel drive, not trusting the Impala for off road action. He had left the car parked outside the room with the keys in Dean’s hands for a Just In Case.

Just In Case meant different things to Dean than John.

John would mean Just In Case was a matter of life and death and he needed to get him and Sam out of town. To Dean it could mean the local drive in was showing the first Star Wars trilogy and his brother had never partaken in the movies besides on video. The difference in definitions had never been brought up. Dean reasoning what John didn’t know wouldn’t hurt Dean. Sam reasoned that Dean was a chicken shit.

So it was great circumstance got ready that night. He had actually bought product for his hair and even wore clean blue jeans. Sam watched the ritual with barely disguised amusement as Dean tried to tackle the same three hairs that made his bangs for the millionth time. Finally with a huge sigh Sam exclaimed, “You aren’t getting any prettier.”

Dean looked over to him with a wicked grin and said, “I think we both know that isn’t true.” Then turning back to the mirror he cocked his head and smiled, “Perfect”

“Perfectly stupid”, Sam muttered at that little brother volume, loud enough to be heard, low enough to deny.

Dean walked by and punched Sam’s shoulder at just the right big brother force. Hard enough to hurt, soft enough not to leave a bruise, “I heard that.”

Dean looked out the window and saw the still night falling. No clouds, no wind, nothing. It was just still. Not knowing what that meant in Nowhere, Montana he didn’t even bother to grab a long shirt. He had been working double time on pushups and sit ups, and he had no desire to hide the merchandise from the countless girls that would be there to see. Rolling the sleeves up slightly to show off the bulges he nodded at the mirror and turned to Sam, “You ready Sammy?”

“It’s Sam.”, Sammy said trying to take the pout out of his voice and not succeeding.

“Sure thing Sammy”, he walked by messing up his little brother’s hair, “Let’s go!”

“This is a mistake.” Sam said not grabbing a long sleeve shirt either. After all, Dean knew best. “I have seen the movies before.” he said closing the door behind him.

“Not like this!”, Dean said over his shoulder, “Not like it was meant to be seen my boy!”

“I am NOT your boy!” Sammy said with more force than he intended.

Dean looked back with a grin, “I think we both know that isn’t true.” The blush and anger on Sammy’s face was well worth the dig. As they walked out the night bit into their exposed flesh like a knife; raising gooseflesh on Dean’s arms. Being only 17 there was a sparse amount of hair on them, and what was there was so light as to be invisible. He actually thought about turning around and grabbing a shirt when he heard Sammy draw breath from surprise.

“It’s cold!” he said, this time not even bothering with the whine filter.

Dean hunkered down in his shirt and said, “Grow a pair Sammy, it feels great!”, he said as he began to dig for the keys.

“I’m gonna get a shirt!” Sam said hovering just outside the hotel door. Dean paused, key halfway in the car door and thought about it. He wanted a shirt in a bad way, but due to the retardation that all teenage males possess he equated admitting it with weakness. And Dean Winchester wasn’t weak.

“Fine wimp”, he said unlocking the door, “Go get a stupid shirt, see if there are some diapers too in case you have an accident during Empire!” He swung open the door and tried to slide in the same way he saw his dad do. But his legs weren’t long enough yet and his eyes came just above the steering wheel. Reaching underneath the seat he began to scoot it forward. With half a glance he snuck a look at Sam.

He was standing there, rubbing his arms fiercely, trying to decide if the label of wimp outweighed the cold. Normally Sam was the brighter of the two, but he was suffering from the only malady worse than teenage retardation. The desire for teenage retardation. Just on the cusp of that magic number, twelve year old Sam was stuck with the faulty reasoning of, if Dean can take it, so can I. No matter how insane or stupid that may be. Finally he heard Dean’s voice over the dull thumping of Rush, “You coming you big girl!”

And that was it.

Rushing into the car Sammy slammed the door and pulled the seatbelt across, “Shut up” he said to Dean in response to the grin that had spread across his face. The grin which was older brother code for, “Gotcha again”

Dean pulled out into traffic and began their trek to the drive in, the sounds of Tom Sawyer following close behind them.

Like the jacket, it was John’s before it was Dean’s.

A true work of art, the automobile was a member of the family. It was never a chore to wash her and filling her up with gas was thought more along the lines of supplying a meal to a hungry sibling than an actual job. Sam knew Dean thought the car would be his someday. Sam secretly hoped it would be Dean’s one day because that meant he was in direct line of succession. And though he would never imagine of anything bad happening to his older brother, for the Impala he could imagine a safe or two falling from the sky. It was a sweet ride and had some incredible features. An engine that purred like a kitten, a saber tooth tiger kitten with teeth as wide as your head, a stereo that seemed custom built to blast the greatest rock hits of the past thirty years with almost no distortion, a trunk that could hold more weapons than most armories, or a dead body if the mission called for it. It had a ton of great things that they enjoyed every day. It was missing one small feature that the brothers were realizing now.

The heater didn’t work.

Now it didn’t work as in it was inoperable. Everything in the car worked to one degree or another, if it worked the way it was meant was another story. The heater was this story. The ride to the drive in the chill became a cold and the cold became a freezing. By the time they pulled up to box office the freezing had become a few words unrepeatable in mixed company.

“Colder than a sonofabitch”, Dean said under his breath as he rolled down the window and handed the guy the money.

“You coming you big girl?” Sam mumbled under his breath, “Go get a shirt you wimp” he mimicked as Dean rolled up the window and glared at him. At sight of Dean’s clenched jaw he stopped talking.

They pulled the boat of a car into the theater and a few things became instantly obvious. One, not a lot of Star Wars fans in Nowhere, Montana. Which might have been untrue. Montana might be peppered with tons of Star Wars fans, none of them had shown up for this showing of the trilogy. The parking lot was empty as Dean pulled into a center lot, a sideways glance showed that the lack of an audience was not lost on Sam.

“Let’s so see Star Wars Sam. Tons of girls there Sam.”, he huffed as he blew his bangs out of his face.

The second thing was that this theater used the old style speaker grills that hung on a window instead of the new style system that used a car’s radio. Which meant someone was going to have to open a door to get the speaker, and a window was going to have to be cracked throughout three whole movies.

The last point was somehow it was colder in the drive-in than anywhere else.

“Get the speaker”, Dean ordered as he began to sit back in the seat. Sam slowly turned his head to face him with a look that was worth a thousand words. A thousand words that might have belonged to a sailor or merchant marine, but a thousand words nonetheless.

After a few seconds of staring at each other Dean sighed loudly and opened his door. He felt his arms began to shiver as he grabbed the speaker and began to hook it up to the window when he had an idea. Dropping the speaker he opened the door and grabbed the keys from the ignition. Sam opened his mouth to ask what Dean was doing, but was rewarded by a slamming door. Sam turned around and watched his older brother open the trunk up. He heard Dean rummaging around for something, which made Sam wonder since they had removed the weapons and stored them in the hotel room just like every other time they set up shop. After about three minutes Sam opened his door and instantly regretted it.

The night air engulfed him like he had plunged into a pool of freezing water. He slammed his mouth shut to prevent his teeth from chattering and wandered to the back of the car. As he came around the back taillights he paused in what could only be described as shock. Dean was standing there with a huge leather jacket on, looking a little shocked himself. It was a huge thing, dark brown and wrinkled, it looked perfectly used in a very Indiana Jones kind of way. It came to about mid thigh on him, his hands lost in the sleeves and the collar engulfing his entire skull. Dean was at the time in a teenager's life where he was not a young man, but a large boy and the jacket was in no way helping that image. His appearance and description could be summed up in the same sentence, “A boy wearing a man’s jacket.” The first words out of Sam’s mouth summed up the entire situation.

“Dad’s gonna kill you.”

Dean thought that same thought. His dad was indeed going to kill him. For taking the car. For dragging Sam along. For not wearing a long shirt. And finally for wearing his jacket. Dean summed up four deaths so far, and since he didn’t really care much past the first one, the other three had little to no effect.

“So?”, he shrugged closing the trunk. He smiled as he saw Sam look as quickly as he could for another jacket to somehow magically appear in the trunk before it slammed shut. Walking back to the driver’s side he hooked the speaker up to the window and sat smugly behind the wheel. Sam on the other hand more or less sulked his way back into the passenger seat, huddling his arms together, trying to kill Dean with a stare.

Dean ignored him.

Which of course meant Dean more or less tried to ignore him, which he couldn’t. It was the one trump card Sam knew he had over Dean and sooner or later, it always won. Even though Dean relished in his full time occupation of Big Brother (whose job duties involved: Bossing around stupid little brothers, teasing stupid little brothers for their own good, taking out frustration that their dad was a bit around the bend at time on stupid little brothers and his favorite, beating up stupid little brothers when they talked back) there was another job he took a bit more seriously.

He was Sam’s guardian.

From the moment John Winchester had thrust that wailing infant into Dean’s arms, it had been his job to look after him no matter what. And more times than not, the two jobs found themselves in conflict, and every time they did, the same job won out. Much to Dean’s chagrin.

“You cold?”, Dean asked watching the trailers.

Sam glared at him so hard that Dean should have indeed burst into flames, allowing Sam to warm himself over the charred remains for his bossy older brother. When nary a spark was produced, he simply said, “Yes.”

Dean said nothing and watched the screen with interest. Sam began to cuss him out in his mind, once again imagining the life size Human Torch action figure his brother would make. After the third trailer Dean scooted over from the driver’s side to the middle of the seat. Sam looked over to him, indignant, not only was he going to steal the coat, but he was going to hog the seat as well.

Stupid movie.

After the trailer of the black guy and the oriental guy that teamed up and had wacky adventures because of cultural misunderstandings and before the one about the huge rock that was hurtling towards Earth, Dean said, “Scoot over.”

Sam shot a glare at him again, “I am over as far as I can go! What are you doing, planning on lying out?”

Dean looked back with a scowl, “I mean this way you ijiot. It’s warmer if we sit closer to each other.”

Sam stared at Dean for a long while. His little brother mind ran the numbers of the odds of this being an older brother trap. Since time immortal the older brother/younger brother war had been fought. The first male sibling no doubt in some way made life unbearable for the first younger sibling and since that time, it was a tradition passed down to each generation. An act of unsolicited kindness was always the shampoo bottle and the mean act that followed was always the near hidden within. So Sammy’s mind raced as he struggled to find the catch.

Sighing Dean said, “I’m serious, stay over there and freeze, see if I care.” And went back to watching the trailers.

Sam watched Dean with narrowed eyes. This was a trap, as sure as the pile of bird seed was a trap for the Roadrunner, this was a trap. Problem was Dean never struck him as the evil mastermind type. Evil, sure, mastermind, never. So what was the angle. He saw his older brother laugh at the trailer and tried to think faster.

“No burping”, Sam said.

Dean looked over at him, “What?”

“NO burping in my face”, he amended, his arms crossed.

“Why would I burp in your face?”, Dean asked with real shock in his voice.

“Cause you’re a jerk”, Sam said with the certainty that every little brother possessed.

“Bitch”, Dean said and went back to watching the movie. Sam ignored the trio of dancing condiments on the screen and moved over slightly. Suddenly he said, “And no farting!”

Dean just sighed and shook his head, not even bothering to dignify that with a response.

Sam scooted closer and felt the jacket press against his arm. He didn’t feel any warmer, but the leather did smell nice. As the screen went black and the first drums of the movie began, Dean smiled as he felt his little brother lean into the jacket and against his side. The drive in grew quiet for a moment and the words, A long, long time ago, in a Galaxy far, far away, appeared on the screen and the two of them held their breaths.

And then it exploded with music as the words Episode IV began to scroll up. Dean was rewarded with a gasp from Sam as he saw Star Wars for the first time.

He was John’s before he was Dean’s.

But they both knew who they belonged to now.

Testing, 1, 2, 3...