All Things Considered

"Well, I'll tell you one thing. We're lucky we had Dad."

When Sam said those words, Dean almost thought his brother was possessed. He knew, and remembered quite well how much his brother hated their father, his way of making soldiers out of them.

"Huh… I never thought I'd hear you say that," Dean answered, and there was a small smirk at the corner of his lips because it was almost funny.

Sam let his eyes wandered, knowing well what Dean had thought. He did hate his father, for making him live the life of a hunter. But, seeing how it could've gone without the very life he despised, he had to rethink.

"Well, it could've gone another whole way after mom," he told Dean. "A little more tequila, and a little less… demon hunting, and we would have Max's childhood."

And it was true, because they knew their father. It was impossible for him to keep on going without anything to blame, and it was the demon hunting that had saved them from having childhood like Max's.

At least, Sam thought so.

Sam didn't know that Dean already had a brush of what Max's childhood had been.

John had seen Dean with hatred in his eyes before, though Dean knew the hatred itself wasn't directed at him. John also had hit him in his drunken haze, and his father never held back. It was only because he was drunk that he couldn't use all his strength, but the man never held back. And then, when he was delirious and angry and just so frustrated, the fact Dean was his son didn't really matter anymore. But then, he would sober up, and his eyes would have that profound regret and he would apologize in a broken voice he had never heard of from his father but then. Dean knew that it was mostly the fear of hurting his son again that had kept him from returning early and why the man always insisted on doing solo hunts on their own as Dean reached fifteen.

But Sam never knew, should never know, can't ever know.

So, he just sniffed.

"All things considered… We turn out okay, thanks to him."

And, for the first time, Dean saw that his brother did feel thankful to have John as their father.

Dean turned his head, to see the house one more time and try to look at it the way Sam did. But, he couldn't.

It was the same song in different verse for him.

Dean wanted to argue, that he didn't turn out okay. He turned out broken and dependent, too shattered and beyond salvation, thanks to him. It was only Sam that turned out okay, thanks to—

But, he wouldn't crush that respect off Sam, so when he turned back, he let the corners of his lips turn upwards and repeated Sam's words that he could still accept.

"All things considered."

Sapphire09: ...I think this is the shortest piece I've ever written, I'm even surprised at myself. But, this part had always been bugging me... I don't know if this had been done before, though...

Please tell me what you think!