Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural

Chapter 1

Sam sat up abruptly. He wasn't sure what had woken him, but his hunter instincts, although mainly forgotten, would not let him ignore the quiet noises coming from his kitchen. Slipping silently from the bed, he tread softly towards the source of the sound, being very careful to not wake Jess. Sam's eyes narrowed as he saw the shadowed form of an unknown man walking through his home. Creeping towards the dark figure, who had now started rummaging through his fridge; Sam shot his hand out, and grabbed the figure's shoulder, trying to bring the person, or thing, down. But the figure quickly snatched the offending hand and slammed them both to the ground, with the dark figure straddling him.

"Hey Sammy, you miss me? A bit out of practice huh?" A familiar voice said. Throwing the figure off him and reversing the positions, Sam responded with an annoyed tone.

"You were saying Dean? And it's Sam, not Sammy." Sam picked himself off the ground, and offered a hand to the fallen man. Grinning, Dean firmly grasped the offered hand and hauled himself up.

"Sam, why are you up? And who's that?" A tired voice said. Jess had awoken during the scuffle, and was staring at Sam with a raised eyebrow. Sam shot Dean a look, and then moved so he was standing next to his long time girlfriend.

"Jess, this is Dean, my brother. Dean, this is—"

Dean quickly cut Sam off with a cocky grin. "Jess, your girlfriend right? Let me just say that you are way too good for my brother."

Jess glanced at Sam and saw his form tensing. Quick to diffuse the tension, Jess interrupted the beginning of what was sure to be a long argument. "This is great and all, but why is he here."

At this, Sam turned to Dean with an exaggerated questioning look. "Yeah Dean, why are you here?"

Dean rolled his eyes, and then all of a sudden, his once mocking tone turned serious. Seriousness that was quite uncommon for him.

"Dad's gone missing. He went on a hunt, and hasn't been home for days. Also, I have something urgent to tell you. But it can wait until we find dad."

Sam started at this, and turned to Jess with an apologetic look in his eyes. "Can you please let us have some time alone? I need a moment to talk to Dean."

Jess looked at Sam, unsure whether or not to protest. But with a small nudge towards their bedroom, she reluctantly walked back to bed. But silently she resolved to ask Sam about the situation in the morning.

As soon as Jess left the room, Sam turned to Dean, and said in a hurried voice. "So, dad's missing. But that doesn't explain why you're here."

Dean shot Sam a look that screamed 'duh, why do you think I'm here. To say hello?'. "I need your help to find him, genius. I can't do this alone. Plus, like I said earlier, there's something important that you need to know."

Shifting nervously, Dean stared at Sam pleadingly, silently begging for him to say yes. But Sam ignored it, and turned away from his brother.

"Dean, I can't. I have a life here. A girlfriend, an education. Hell, I'm having an interview for law school soon. I can't just drop that to come with you," Sam said. Anxiously running his hands through his hair.

"Look Sammy, I wouldn't come if it wasn't important. I stayed away for two years, all I ask is for help to find dad, and for you to listen to me." Ushering Sam outside where his beloved Impala was, Dean trudged to the trunk filled with weapons. Taking out a green bag, he pulled forth a bottle of pills.

"Do you know what this is?" Dean asked Sam in a serious tone, gently closing the trunk door.

"No idea. I study law, not medicine." Sam glanced back to the house, obviously wanting to go back to his girlfriend and bed. "Look Dean, what's with all of this? Why is it important?"

"God dammit! Be patient Sam! Anyway, of course you don't recognize it. Because it was made specifically for me. I'm dying Sammy, and dad knew this. Why do you think we were still hunting together? You and I both know that I am capable of hunting on my own, but now, I need the help. And… you really never know when my disease could act up. But now dad's missing, I don't know if he is dead from his hunt or if he left me. But Sam, I need your help…. Sam?"

Sam looked at Dean with his puppy dog eyes, which were slowly filling with tears. "Oh my gosh Dean. Why didn't you come sooner? You should have called or something. I could have—"

Dean slammed his hand on the trunk, cutting off Sam mid sentence. "You could have what, Sam! Helped me? You know I won't settle down and live an apple pie life like you. Hunting is in my blood, and it's what I wanted to do. It's what I needed to do. Dad may not have understood why I wanted to continue hunting, but he accepted that and helped me. There really is nothing you could have done."

After Dean finished his tirade, there was a long moment of silence. Nothing was said, for there were too many thoughts whirling in both of their heads. The night was still, as if Dean's rant had scared them to silence. Until Sam finally asked a question that was wriggling in the back of his mind.

"What illness do you have? Cancer, leukemia?"

Dean shook his head with a wry smile on his face. "Tuberculosis."

Sam looked shocked. "I though they have a drug to cure that."

"They do, it just doesn't work on me." Dean held up the bottle of pills still grasped in his hand. "These help keep it contained, but as far as I know, it's incurable."

Sam jolted, as if struck by lightning. "It is supernatural? Maybe, some witch or something cursed you!"

Dean looked sadly at Sam. "Sometimes people just get all the luck. Trust me, it's not supernatural related."

Sam looked at the night sky, sending a prayer to God, asking him what he should do. Go with his dying brother and find his dad, or stay with Jess. After a few moments of deliberation, Sam finally made up his mind.

"I'm not letting you go off on your own Dean, but once we find dad, I'm coming back to Jess. Deal?"

"…. Deal." Dean looked slightly disappointed for a moment, but that quickly faded into acceptance. Sam puzzled over Dean's look, asking himself, acceptance for what exactly? But the look got pushed to the back of his mind when he realized that he had to say goodbye to Jess and tell her where he was going. Quickly telling Dean that he would be right back, Sam raced back to his house. Not knowing that he should have puzzled over Dean's look for a bit longer.

As Sam raced back to the house, Dean's eyes grew hazy as he got lost in his own, self depreciating thoughts. I knew it, Dean thought. A small part of him had known that Sam would not want to stay with him, but all he wanted was for his family to be whole again. As least until he died. But it had always been this way. Sam and John, with Dean in the middle. And it seemed, that it would always be this way.

Dean glanced sadly towards the window of the house, the scene of Sam kissing Jess goodbye imprinted in his mind. And Dean accepted that his was to be his life. Always being abandoned by the ones he cared for the most. At least he'll be with his brother, but who knows how long that will last.