Dean was sixteen. He'd just gotten his license, though he'd certainly had enough practice driving before. All it meant was one less thing to do illegally. John was planning on being gone for awhile so he got a rental car so they could get around. Dean was overjoyed. He could drive!

It was late at night and John was off on a hunt. Dean had been instructed to "take care of Sammy" as always, but he wanted to go do something fun for once, so he got Sammy in the car and took them out for dinner. It happened on their way back.

Dean came up to a light, but it was green, so he didn't give it much thought: he had the right-of-way. A car from the opposite lane was turning cross-traffic into Dean's lane. It wasn't stopping. Dean slammed on the breaks, but the car didn't stop fast enough, and it slid into the path of the oncoming vehicle.

The airbags went off, and Dean threw himself across to the passenger seat, blocking Sammy with his body. The force of the airbag slammed his face into the seat, and the force of the collision slammed Sammy's face into his shoulder. After a few moments the airbags deflated and Dean pulled himself away from his brother. Sammy blinked at him. "What just happened?"

"I'm sorry, Sammy. We were in an accident," Dean said, looking distraught.

"Dean. Are you okay?" Sammy asked him, and Dean ducked his head to his brother's shoulder. "I'm fine. Are you?"

"I think so," said Sammy.

Dean nodded and pulled away from Sammy. He examined his brother carefully for any signs of pain. When none came, he breathed out a sigh of relief. He pushed the door open hard, because it was slightly mangled, and crawled out. He then turned to Sammy, and, grabbing his arm, pulled him gently from the wreckage. Some people came rushing over to them, talking about how they'd already called the cops and were they okay and Dean just tuned them out and held on tightly to Sammy, unwilling to let go of him for a moment.

Soon an ambulance got there. Dean and Sam refused a ride, refused to go to the hospital, saying were fine. Since there wasn't anything noticeably wrong with them, they couldn't be forced to go. They did, however, accept blankets for shock and some small amount of food. Dean pulled Sammy over to the sidewalk and they sat side by side waiting while Dean called their father.

The other man was loaded quickly into the ambulance and they took off for the hospital. He would die in transit to the hospital.

The cops started asking questions of Dean and Sam, and Dean told them what happened. Told them that Sammy was his brother, that he'd taken him out to eat to celebrate the fact that Dean got his license. Said their father was on a business trip. Said he'd be back as soon as he could but until then Sammy was Dean's responsibility.

"Dean, your brother is too young to be sitting in the front seat. He should be in serious condition right now. How is he not?"

Dean looked at Sammy, looked at his brother, and said, "I threw myself in front of it. I was going to protect Sammy. My brother wasn't going to get so much as a paper cut on my watch, let alone seriously inured in a car accident."

The cop looked at him. "That's an admirable reaction time."

Dean looked at him, gaze equally steady. "Sammy is my responsibility. Our mom died when we were young. Our dad threw himself into his work. He still provides for us, but... I might as well have raised him. Call it a parent's instincts."

The cop looked both impressed and doubtful, but he nodded and walked away without any further questions.

"Dean?"

"Yeah, Sammy?"

"You mean that?"

"Yeah, Sammy."

Dean turned to look at Sammy and smiled, and then wrapped his arm over his brother's shoulders. "I love you, Sammy."

Sam laid his head on Dean's shoulder. "Love you, too, Dean."