Easter Day the Winchester Way.
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For a Gas and Sip, the store was stocked up pretty well and Dean strolled to the check-out with an armful of his favourite Impala-food; snacks he munched on contentedly to the rhythm of his music, causing his younger sibling to bitch and complain about everything from the blaring rock to the smells and empty packets that would pile up in the car between one stop and another, something Dean took enormous delight in.
A bitchy Sammy was the most entertaining Sammy of them all!
x
He glanced out the window at the parked car expecting to see Sam's head pressed up against the glass, drooling all over it in his sleep, just as he'd left him ten minutes ago to shop and empty his bladder, but there was no sign of his kid brother, and Dean couldn't stop the jolt of fear that shot though him whenever said little brother wasn't where he was supposed to be.
He realised he was being ridiculous, Sam was a six-foot five wall of dangerous muscle, yet Dean lived in eternal terror that one day he'd turn around and Sam would have vanished, dragged off to who knows where by who knows what.
His over-protectiveness wasn't always well-accepted by his younger sibling but 'look out for Sammy' was too ingrained in his psych now to be easily waived away.
x
He ignored the appreciative glances the attractive check-out girl was directing at him; overtures that a second ago he'd been going to bask in to the full.
Hey, he was awesome, and when the fairer sex let him know it, he enjoyed the attention as much as any red-blooded guy would, but when worry for Sam kicked in, everything else took a back-seat
If Sam wasn't in the Impala then he'd gone for a piss, Dean assured himself, feeling ever more stupid for beginning to freak out with no reason.
Was he going to start stalking his brother when he went to the rest room next, for Pete's sake!
x
Still he had to force himself to open the door of the Impala and slide in behind the wheel, impatient as he was to see Sam's tall rangy figure come back into his sights.
He automatically deposited his purchases on the passenger seat ...and drew back his hand in shock as it brushed over something...soft and furry!
"Freaking hell," he cursed, throwing himself out of the Impala and palming his gun.
He watched with bated breath as an extra-large bag of M&Ms slid slowly to the side, to find himself face to face with...a... rabbit?
Dean let out the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding and locked glances with the round staring eyes of the little creature.
As if on cue its nose began to twitch in the most endearing manner and Dean couldn't help the smile that came to his lips in response. He got back into the car and gently picked the rabbit up, holding its quivering body in his hands.
"Hey, little guy," he grinned. "Just how did you manage to sneak inside my Baby?"
The rabbit stopped twitching, flattened its ears against its head and met his eyes in an inquisitive un-rabbity sort of way as if it was seriously considering his question.
"Huh." Dean cocked his head to the side studying it. It had chestnut-brown fur unusual on a rabbit, similar to the colour of ...Sam's hair.
Naa! He quickly pushed down the trepidation that washed over him.
The doors had been closed and there was no other way to get inside the car; but seriously he grunted to himself, to think this cute little guy could have anything to do with his brother; be his brother was going too far!
x
Yet the rabbit seemed eminently at home in his hands, an adorable ball of fur that made Dean happy just to hold it.
He'd always had a soft spot for the harmless little dudes, and hated the fact that witches seemed to take a perverse delight in using them for their revolting spells.
But now that the idea had taken hold, a spiral of doubt began to flare up.
What if it was Sammy? What if some passing witch had seen his sleeping brother and decided that any-time was a good time to hex a Winchester.
Worse, what if it had been Crowley himself? The son of a bitch was the son of a witch after all, and turning his little brother into a rabbit would get his rocks off for the day!
Dean was gradually but surely working himself up into a frenzy, imagining what he would do to the douche-bag that had dared to put a spell on Sam, becoming totally convinced that the soft fragile little bunny he was caressing gently in his hands was his little brother.
"Don't worry, kiddo, " he murmured to rabbit, holding it close to his chest. "You'll be back to your gigantor size in no time."
x
So caught up was he in consoling the little guy, he didn't notice the dark shadow falling over the window and his brother's face peering in, until a knock on the glass got his attention.
"Sam?" Dean squeaked in the most unmanly way, glancing from the rabbit to his brother's smiling face, feeling the biggest idiot on the planet; and when Dean felt like an idiot there was only one response.
He placed the rabbit gently on the passenger seat, got out of the Impala, fisted his hands in Sam's shirt and pressed him roughly up against the side of the Impala.
"You... you.. son of a bitch," Dean growled, pushing his face into Sam's. "I was worrying my ass off and you were kicking around out here without a care in the world. Where the freak were you!"
"Dean, what the hell? " Sam bitched back. "Calm down, man. I went for a piss. I didn't realize it was going to turn you bat-shit crazy. Next time I'll put in a request in triple copy. Now get off me!"
x
Dean let go of the crushed shirt and took a step back, his eyes still flashing with anger.
Sam smoothed down his clothing and stared unflinchingly back at Dean.
"You gonna tell me what that was all about?" he asked in the calmest of voices.
"Nothing, man." Dean hedged. "It was all a mistake."
He wasn't ever going to tell Sam he'd mistaken a rabbit for him. Sam would use it to fuel his baiting needs for the next century, so he came up with the first excuse he could think of.
x
" My EMF started to beep and I thought something had dragged your skinny ass off, but as its still safe inside your jeans, I was wrong! I was just worried, is all."
Sam nodded in acceptance. It was standard Dean behaviour to go all protective on him. It irked him at times but how could he fault Dean when he felt exactly the same when his big brother was missing.
"It's okay, Dean. I guess you're never gonna get the memo where we look out for each other, not just you for me!"
"You better believe it Sammy. I'm the big brother; it's my job to look out for you. And that's never gonna change, so you're just gonna have to live with it."
"Jerk," was the affectionate reply.
"Bitch." Dean echoed.
x
"By the way Dean, when I looked in, did you have something in your hand? " Sam asked curious.
"What?...No. " Dean replied, his innocent face to the fore.
"You sure? It looked like you were holding a rabbit." Sam insisted.
"Sam, are you sure you didn't gulp down a few beers when you were in that rest room. You'll be imagining pink elephants next. "
Sam circled round to the passenger door.
"I'm pretty sure of what I saw, dude, " Sam confirmed opening the door.
x
Much to Dean's relief, the rabbit was nowhere to be seen, and now the tables had been turned and it was he who had plenty of opportunities to bait his little brother.
"Hey I know it's Easter Day but don't you think seeing rabbits frolicking around is a bit too much, Sammy!" Dean grinned.
Some gracious god had smiled down on him today.
x
Sam rummaged around but of a rabbit there was neither hide nor hair, and he settled down on his seat with a sour expression that would have curdled milk.
"I could have sworn I saw something in your hands, Dean." Sam muttered.
"Aww, Sammy. I'm gonna go right back in there and buy you the biggest chocolate Easter bunny I can find." Dean chortled.
"Just you try, " Sam bitched back as Dean pulled out of the parking space, a shit-eating grin on his face.
As for the rabbit, how it had gotten into the Impala and out again Dean had no idea, but he hoped the little guy was good, wherever he was.
X
The end
Happy Easter to everyone. :)