Disclaimer : This story is based on characters and situations created by Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. Television. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

The sandwich was tasteless - soggy bread and indeterminate meat. He supposed that that would be an apt description of his life now as well. The aftermath of love.

He had wanted a boring love, the kind that's never talked about. But what he got was this; this love irrevocably programmed into his biological code. He'd really thought that he had finally found his place in the world with Katie and Mark. But she had left, taking her son with her.

His fault of course. No getting around that. He was careless just that once. Just that once did he make a mistake and now, here he sat tucked away in a lonely part of a park with a soggy sandwich.

The bush next to him rustled. He turned in time to see a mop of shaggy brown hair, and a pair of small arms pushing the branches aside. The boy lost his balance and fell on the ground with a muffled 'ooof'.

He watched with a stirring of interest as the boy sat up, attempting to dust the mud off his knees with his muddy hands, streaking even more mud on his khaki shorts.

'Are you all right?'

The boy looked at him through his fringe, hazel eyes catching the green of his shirt. He couldn't have been more than 5 but he had an unsettlingly steady gaze.

He felt a frisson go down his spine. He almost shivered. 'What's your name?', he heard himself ask.

'What's yours?' asked the boy with a tone that matched his eyes.

'Dave.'

The boy cocked his head, 'Is that your actual actual name?'

The man called Dave sucked in a breath. It wasn't, but what an interesting child. 'Yes, it is. Why do you ask?'

The boy considered him. 'Because Dean says you can have many names.'

Dave smiled his warm smile, the one that crinkled his eyes and put deep grooves on his cheeks. He spoke with his priest voice, 'Dean sounds smart. Is he your friend?'

Dave was rewarded with a baby toothed smile and dimples. 'Dean's my big brother and he knows everything!'

'Oh wow. You're so lucky,' Dave said and the boy nodded happily. 'So how many names does Dean have?'

'Dean? Hmmm…Dean is Dean. But Daddy has lots!' The boy spread his arms out to indicate the vastness of Daddy's lots of names. 'Dean said Daddy only uses his actual actual name with special people. Like Dean and me.'

Dave smiled wider. Daddy sounded…complicated. The ancient look was gone, or at least temporarily missing from the boy. 'And who's me exactly? You haven't told me your name.'

The boy paused and Dave held his breath. Then he smiled and said 'Sam'

Dave tried saying his name, rolling the name on his tongue. He tried it again, liking the feel of Sam. And once again to seal it in.

Sam chortled behind his hands. 'Why are you saying it like that? Don't you know any Sams? Dean says there are a million million Sams!'

Dave said with complete honesty, 'Oh, but I don't know this Sam.' He was enchanted. So much like a normal child but with crispness to his speech and a keenness that was so very rare. He put his hand out. 'Nice to meet you, Sam.'

Sam walked forward, rubbing his grubby hands on his grubbier shorts before putting his hand in Dave's much larger one. The smile was traded in favour of a serious look benefitting the solemnity of the occasion. 'Nice to meet you, Dave,' he said with grave brown-green mosaic eyes.

The frisson was now a pool of heat in his gut. Dave couldn't help himself. Even though he knew it was too soon, he brushed Sam's fringe of his face, fingers memorising the texture. This close he could smell the mud and the child sweat and Sam. It'd been so long after Mark and he thought he'd never feel this again.

Something must have showed on his face because Sam was giving him a curious look, his hand still in Dave's. Dave let his hand go with regret but he didn't want to mess this up and Sam was obviously an intelligent child.

'Are you here with your Daddy and Dean?'

Sam shook his head. 'Uncle Mitch and Dean.'

'Oh Uncle Mitch, huh? So where is Uncle Mitch now?'

Sam shrugged. 'Uncle Mitch said he needed to pick something up. He said he'd be back. Dean says he's an idiot.'

Interesting. Dave leaned a little closer, 'And Dean?'

The toothy smile again. 'We're playing cops and robbers! Dean supposed to catch me!' Sam paused as a thought occurred to him. He glanced over his shoulder. 'Dean told me not to go too far…I should go back. He'll get mad.'

Dave almost grabbed his hand. Oh no no Sam, you can't leave so soon. ' Yes, I see. That makes sense. You shouldn't make Dean mad.' Sam nodded and as he moved to turn, Dave said casually, 'Well, you could wait for him here. You wouldn't want to get lost.'

Sam's mouth curved into an O and Dave clenched his hands by his side. 'Oh right,' Sam said, 'Dean did say that if I got lost I should stay where I am and he would come get me!' He frowned, 'Or find a policeman. Or a mommy.'

Dave spread his hands. 'I'm not a policeman or a 'mommy', but you could wait here with me.' Dave winked. 'I'm safe, I promise. I'm sure Dean will be happier if you're waiting with me instead of alone.' He patted the seat next to him. He usually had candy but with everything with Mark and Katie, he had forgotten. He must be slipping in his old age. The thought made him smile. Almost.

Either way, Sam didn't look like he'd be impressed with mere candy. ' You can tell me more about Dean as we wait. He sounds like such a good brother'.

Sam's face lit up and he happily clambered up on the bench. Dave did smile then.