John pulled the Sierra Grande against the curb across from the apartment building his son was calling home. He glanced at the numbers on the outside of the building and took in the neighborhood. Sam was doing alright for someone who sold his family out to follow his dream. He double checked the illegible scrawl on the paper one last time and sighed.

He wouldn't admit it to anyone but he was procrastinating that walk to the second floor apartment. They had left things so bad the last time they were together. They hadn't fought in four years but it's a little hard to fight when you don't speak. As far as he knew his boys weren't talking either.

There were times he would trade the battles back in Nam for the fights between him and his youngest. The ones in Nam he had a chance of winning. He often joked with Bobby when the old hunter would put up with him, that Sam was the worst combination between him and Dean. Bobby would just mutter idjit under his breath and go on to the next subject as if John hadn't been saying anything. One more sigh and John opened the door and slid out of the truck.

He needed to get in gear he figured his youngest wouldn't appreciate the hour and he needed Sam to agree to come with him. The distance was eaten up with long legs and before John could convince himself to change his mind he rapped sharply against the wooden door. John stood there for a moment and heard no sounds coming from inside the apartment. He waited a moment and knocked again, this time with a slightly heavier hand.

This time he heard movement from inside the apartment as a sleepy voice holler out, "hold on. I'm coming."

He almost let out a bark of laughter at the look of astonishment on his youngest face. The humor was short lived when that same son slammed the door in his face. For a moment John was speechless. Even with all the issues between them he didn't think Sam would refuse to see him. John was willing to chalk the door up to his youngest surprise. His shock quickly turned to anger when the door didn't reopen. "Samuel Winchester, open this door immediately."

Sam had leaned forward against the door jamb and tried to breathe deeply and come to terms with the man standing outside. John was the last person he expected to see as a matter of fact there were times he wondered if his father even knew where he lived. But of course he surmised this would be the weekend his past caught up with him. If he didn't open the door, John Winchester would get angry and storm off and his law school interview on Monday would be safe. He knew his father well enough that John would leave and try to call Sam so not to attract any more attention to himself.

But when his father barked an order just like old times he just kind of obeyed without thinking about it. His hand twisted the doorknob when Jessica came out of their bedroom and asked sleepily, "Who's at the door, Sam."

He opened the door partially and turned to look at the blond, "I'll tell you about it later. Why don't you go back to bed and I will join you in a little bit."

John didn't have the time or patience to deal with his son's attitude and finished pushing the door open far enough to step through. "Sam we need to talk."

"Nice dad, four years of nothing and then you just shove your way into my home."

John clenched his jaw so tight the muscle under his eye began to twitch. It hadn't been five minutes and the boy already started. If he didn't need Sam's help he would lay into him and remind him that he was his father. Whatever he was going to say however was cut off by the young woman coming over to stand by Sam.

Jessica could see the discomfort in Sam and placed on hand on his shoulder and the other around his upper arm. "Did you say this was your dad?"

John did a once over of the woman and cringed at her lack of modesty. "Yes, I am Sammy's father, John. You must be Jessica."

"Hi," Jessica said and looked at Sam with a smile. She had been asking about his family and he kept changing the subject. Now she was going to have a chance to get to know them.

"It's Sam, not Sammy. Why are you here?" Only the frown was enough to let John know he was uncomfortable with his father's knowledge of his life away from the family business.

"I need your help."

Sam scoffed at his father, "So when does the great John Winchester need help?"

"Watch your mouth boy."

Sam didn't mean to come to attention with his father's tone but the action was so ingrained that his body did it automatically.

John cursed himself he wanted to get Sam to come with him and that wasn't going to happen if they got into a fight before he could even explain to Sam. He took a deep breath and said, "Dean is missing. You would know that if ..,"

"If what dad? You made the rules remember. You said and I quote if you walk out that door don't ever come back."

Jessica gasped softly and squeezed Sam's arm for support.

John had the good grace to look away for a moment and then said, "Look Sammy… I mean Sam. I spoke in anger and said things I shouldn't have and you held a grudge."

"A grudge, dad? You're unbelievable. Only you would make this my fault."

This was pretty much exactly what John suspected would happen when he thought about bringing his youngest into look for his oldest. If Dean hadn't been missing for so long he would have turned around and left. "I need your help to find your brother. You know the one who took care of you."

Sam scoffed. "He's an adult dad. Even perfect little soldier Dean needs a vacation once in a while."

John's jaw clenched in anger and it was taking every bit of self control he had not to lay his son out. "He is not on a vacation, Samuel. Dean doesn't shrug his responsibilities and not for more than nine months."

"Nine months, dad," Sam demanded indignantly. "And you're just now looking for him."

Jessica was surprised again. Not that Sam wanted to talk about his family but she would have thought he would have at least mentioned a brother. "Have you contacted the police?"

John snorted derisively. "No, Caleb just found the Impala in a motel parking lot. Tell me Sam do you think your brother would take a break from her?"

Anger at his father quickly blossomed into fear for his brother. The hope that Dean had somehow finally found the strength to leave the family business was crushed. His brother loved that car too much. From the time Dad gave it to him at eighteen Dean treated it as if it was real even calling her his baby.

Sam looked at Jessica for a minute and sighed. "Jess, why don't you go to bed, dad and I need to talk."

Jessica looked back and forth between the two men and almost asked again about the police. Sam must have known what she was going to ask because he just shook his head. She stood on tip toes and kissed his cheek. "It was nice meeting you Mr. Winchester. I hope you find Sam's brother."

John offered the young woman a tight smile to thank her for her concern and watched as she left the room. He waited until he heard the bedroom door close before speaking softly to Sam. "Sam I know that things aren't great between us right now but Dean and I need your help."

The youngest Winchester sighed deeply. "Look dad, I will help but I have to be back here before Monday morning. I have something I have to do."

"Something more important than your brother," John snapped.

"No dad, just as important as my brother. You raised us to help people. You know there are other ways to do that just hunting."

John had no clue on how he could have raised someone so selfish. He had become someone that could just allow the thing that killed his mother get away with murder. He tried to teach them the skills they would need to find the thing that killed his mother and put an end to it. Helping people along the way was an added benefit. "I don't want to argue with you right now. Let's just find Dean and you can get back to pretending your doing something with your life."

Sam reminded himself that Dean was in trouble and bit back his retort and prayed they found him quickly. He motioned his father to follow him into the kitchen and pulled the carafe out of the coffee maker. "What do we know? You said Caleb found the Impala, Where?"

John watched Sam work and appreciated his jump right into the problem. Dean was a good soldier who followed orders. But Sam's was better at getting information and putting together patterns. "Caleb found the Impala when he checked into the Stowaway motel in a little town call Twin Falls Idaho."

As John elaborated on the condition of the Impala Sam poured two cups of coffee. He put the one black in front of his father and walked to the refrigerator to get the creamer. "What was Dean doing in Idaho?"

John wrapped his hands around the large mug and just smelled the coffee. Sammy gave it to him black but it was a watered down version of what he normally drank. "That's the thing Dean was doing a salt & burn in Jonesboro Arkansas. I was in Springfield dealing with a possession."

Sam's eyebrows shot up into his messy bangs. "Dean was hunting alone?"

"Yes Sam. Your brother is twenty five and since you're not there to watch his back, who else would you suggest."

Sam wanted to snap at his father and tell the man it was his job to watch Dean's back since he force his son to live the life but part of him felt like a hypocrite. He was supposed to be watching his brothers back. He took a deep breath, "what about Dean's stuff."

"Everything was neatly folded in the back of the trunk. When we looked it didn't seem like any of the specialty weapons were missing. His gun, his knife, the jacket, and the necklace you gave him were piled on top of folded clothes in the trunk."

Sam's lips quickly twisted into a frown. From what was said it was made to look as if Dean just walked away and never looked back. But Dad was right he would never leave the Impala or the necklace. Sam pulled out his laptop and typed into Google maps. "So do you think he is in Idaho?"

"I don't know Sammy. I know Dean didn't drive to Idaho without checking in with me. And we can't tell exactly how long the car was parked there or if someone else was driving her. We looked none of Dean's alias checked in there either."

"Did he know where you were going to send him after the salt and burn? Maybe he wanted to get a jumpstart," Sam asked pulling up interstates for possible routes that Dean or whoever stole the Impala might have used.

"No I didn't have anything new. I thought he was going to go north and stop at Singer's place he said he had a couple things he wanted to replace. It was a month later and I hadn't heard from him. I tried his cell phone and there was no answer. I left a message and still he didn't call me back. I was ready to rip that boy a new one. Then I called Singer and he said Dean never made it. He assumed I had called him and sent him somewhere else."

"A month dad, really?" Sam didn't really mean to snap at his father but the disappearance of his brother was becoming more real.

John didn't say anything. Sam had a point and if he had checked on Dean sooner the trail wouldn't have been cold before he even started. He quickly swallowed several gulps of the now lukewarm coffee and said, "I know it's not a lot to go on but I thought we could go back to the motel and see what we could find."

"Where is the Impala now?"

"Singers place. I had towed there three days ago. When we get Dean back he is going to want his car."

Bobby's yard was a good place for the Impala. He almost asked his father if he could drive it while they looked for Dean but decided it wasn't worth it for just two days. He would finish the interview and maybe head back out.