Disclaimer: So even after much delay I still don't own the boys
A/N: I'm back! After my brief hiatus I'm back and I will try to finish my ongoing story while writing small one shots. I can't be sure how frequently I can do this. I hope you enjoy this. Don't forget to review and let me know what you think of the story.
Summary: He thought he wanted this, he really did. But now that he is here he isn't so sure anymore. Bro fluff. Age Reversal.
Tink. Tink. Tink.
It was quiet in the library Sam Winchester was studying in. It was January in California leaving the cozy but nearly empty library with the sounds of rain pelting the large windows overlooking the busy Palo Alto streets.
Sighing again he leaned back in the uncomfortable chair running a hand through his noticeably shaggier hair. He knew he should be studying for his psych final but every time he started to read the book he got distracted. Looking out the window he saw teenagers on bikes zooming through puddles getting even wetter then the winter rain was making them or he would find a word and imagine some smart ass comment Dean would make when he peeked over his shoulder to see what his older brother was doing.
He was so sure when he was sitting in all those dusty, filthy motel rooms filling out college applications that this was what he wanted. To get as far away as possible from the life he grew up in, his father, everything. He was so sure that he wanted to live a normal life with a girl, dog and freaking economical car. He thought he had his life planned out for him. Go to Stanford get his degree and leave everything behind never to be thought of again, except he forgot one very important thing when he was making all these plans.
Dean.
How he could forget someone as important as him when he had considered everything else; he had no idea. How he could forget someone he had raised from the tender age of four and saw everyday was beyond him. Now that he was on campus everything reminded him of his brother and made him regret coming a little bit more every day. He tried calling every day the first month after he left to see if he could get a hold of Dean but every number had been disconnected; so he tried Bobby. Bobby hadn't seen any of the Winchesters in months not since the shotgun incident.
It had been nearly seven months since he had heard from his brother or father. No emergency room calls, pleas for help or orders to come back. He was truly on his own and he hated it. He couldn't stand the thought of not sharing a too small bed with his brother and fighting over the covers on cold winter nights when the heater was broken or the outdated can of Spagettios that always managed to follow them from motel to motel. As much as it pained him to admit it he even missed the way his father ordered them to do everything.
He misses his family.
He was a grown ass man (well if you count 18 grown) and instead of enjoying the freedom college brought like all his friends and roomies he couldn't stand the thought of it.
As he sat musing over this he didn't see the mousy blonde stumbling towards his table with an arm full of books and glasses slipping down the bridge of her nose. The young woman caught the tip of her sneaker on the ragged edge of carpet sending her flying forward with books sailing across the room and her into Sam's lap.
Disturbed from his thoughts Sam caught the girl before she could fall to the floor and hurt herself anymore, "Are you alright?"
"Sam," the blonde asked as she pushed herself to her feet and out of the teen's lap, "what are you doing here?"
That was the million dollar question. What was he doing here? He didn't belong here. Who did he think he was that he could leave his other life behind him and start fresh? He was lying to himself and everyone around him, "I'm not sure."
Slowly he backed away leaving everything at the table he had taken up residence at, walking towards the library doors slowly turning to a run. Running through the aisles of books he scattered librarians knowing he had one job and one job only. Find Dean.
Pushing the glass doors open he started through the puddles of dirty street water and cold rain. He was halfway to his dorm before his hoodie, jeans and converse were soaked through. Dashing up the stairs to his room he started to pack his meager belongings when he felt his phone vibrate.
Shoveling his clothes into his worn duffel bag he shoved the phone between his shoulder and ear as he packed, "Hello?"
"I found them."
Four words and Sam knew he was making the right decision, "Where are they Bobby, I'm packing right now."
"My source said he spotted the Impala in Boston. I know it's a long shot but I have a feeling that this is the real thing," Bobby answered pausing for what Sam suspected was to take a shot of something, "now I can check in with another source but if I were you I would hightail it over there before something changes. He said it had been there for awhile."
Zipping his bag closed he took a last look around the messy dorm room before he ran to the kitchen leaving a note for his roommate.
Jared-
I gotta go. Have fun and good luck man.
-Sam
"I'm on my way Bobby."
SPN SPN SPN
"Sir the nonstop from LA to Boston is departing in 15 minutes. Are you sure you still want the flight?"
Sliding his American Express card across the counter he answered, "I have a brother to find."
SPN SPN SPN
Jolting awake as the plane touched down in Boston he quickly pulled the his backpack from under his seat and started to unbuckle when he felt a delicate hand land on his shoulder, "Sir you need to stay seated. We have not stopped yet and we are not ready to unload."
Blushing at his eagerness to exit the plane he replied, "Yes Ma'am. "
Shaking his leg in an anxious fashion he watched as the plane came to a slow halt outside of the large terminal and thoughts of his brother crossed his mind. How would Dean react to seeing him? Would he even want to see him after he ditched? What if they already left and he was chasing dead ends?
He knew one thing was for sure. Even if this was a dead end he wouldn't stop until he had Dean by his side.
"Thanking you for flying with United Airlines. Fly with us again."
He was off the plane in less than a minute.
SPN SPN SPN
"Thanks Bobby I'm almost there now." Sam replied hanging up the phone. As soon as he landed he hailed a cab and called Bobby for the address his brother was suspected to be at.
"First time to the city son?"
Turning to the front he saw the taxi driver dressed in a worn sweat shirt jacket navigating the busy Boston streets like it was the back of his hand, "Yes sir. I wish it was for better circumstances though."
"Can't say that I don't agree with you," the older gentleman agreed as he pulled up to the front of the rundown looking Super8, "hope everything goes well for you kid. That'll be $20 bucks."
Getting out and pulling his bags out with him he tossed the driver the cash and headed towards the office letting the taxi with the horrible exhaust blend back into the busy Saturday night traffic.
He was about to pull open the smudged glass door leading to a dirty looking office when he caught sight of the infamous Impala. There it was sitting in the open like it was just another car, like it was the average worn down Neon sitting next to it or the old beat up Escort with Duct tape holding it together on the other side of the parking lot. To any other passerby that would have been true, but to him the shiny black exterior held many more memories. It held memories of grief, pain, laughter and genuine happiness. It held memories of his first A, Dean's first teeth coming in, his wisdom teeth being pulled, the place where he had to give his little brother 'the talk', the place where he found out he could finally get out of this life, a life of misery, pain and violence.
As he walked passed it to the door he ran a hand over the slick, black paint and revealed in the coldness of the metal and let images cross his mind, soon. Soon things will be back to normal.
Dropping his duffel by the door he raised a hand, taking a deep breath let his knuckles knock against the warped door.
He waited for the tell tale click of a shotgun or sliding of chairs from inside the room but he didn't hear either.
He didn't hear the sliding of chairs, click of a shotgun or the most troubling he couldn't hear any voices from inside the room. He couldn't hear his brother's loud laugh or his father's deep voice. All he heard was silence.
"Dean? Dad? Either of you in there," he asked again knocking once more with more urgency this time, "are you ok? I know you're both pissed at me but I just want to talk and let you know how sorry I am."
"I wouldn't bother son."
Spinning around at the sudden intrusion to what he had thought was a private moment he found himself face to face with an elderly woman pushing her walker past him on the sidewalk, "Excuse me?"
"Neither one of them have been out of the room in days. I told the front desk she should call the cops or someone because something isn't right, but you know people these days. Never want to draw attention to themselves with police action."
"What do you mean something isn't right?" He asked giving the old woman his full attention now.
"You mean you don't smell that? Maybe it's just my old nose that is keen to this kind of thing, but something smells like death. Something ain't right in that room and if you know those people I wouldn't go in there alone."
It was then that he realized what seemed so out of place. It was the smell of meat that had been left out to long or that rancid smell when you pass road kill with your windows down on a hot July afternoon. It was that smell that pushed him into motion.
Never bothering to give the woman another word he quickly turned back towards the door before shouting and pounding on the door harder this time, "Dean! Dad! I'm coming in."
Not giving a minute for an answer he pushed his shoulder into the door using his body to push through the door. The second the rusty knob gave way letting him fall to the dusty carpet he was engulfed in the nauseating smell of decomposition and death.
"Dad," Turning over on his side he came face to face with what was his Father before the bottle claimed his life, "what the hell did you do?"
Realizing his Dad was gone he had one mission and one mission only. Standing quickly to his feet he scanned the room quickly before his hazel eyes finally landed on the bed where his little brother lay.
"Dean."
Looking down at the only bed in the room he found his baby brother covered in quilts and sweat. Moving closer the smell of sickness hit him like a brick wall. His brother was sick and if this was like any of the other times the teen got sick it wasn't just a little sniffle either. Stepping forward to get closer his foot squished in something and upon further inspection he realized it was tacky, nasty vomit plastered on the floor around the bed.
"Can you hear me Dean?"
His brother looked so fragile lying in the bed like he was just a little toddler again oblivious to the horrors of the world. Moving closer he realized he couldn't see the steady raise and fall of the chest, "Dean? Dean? Can you hear me?"
Slowly lowering his head he could feel the warmth coming off his brother in waves and looking down at the teen's nails he could see the edges turning blue. Taking a deep breath he slowly lowered his fingers to the pulse point in the curve of the neck housing the amulet he gave his brother all those Christmases ago when their father abandoned them in a motel similar to this one. Letting his fingers slowly glide across the smooth skin he didn't feel the telltale pitter patter of blood flowing through his veins, "Don't you do this to me Dean. Don't you dare you little bastard."
He didn't travel all this way just to find his father dead on the floor and his brother not far behind in the bed. Pulling the blankets back he was overcome by the stench of infection and bodily fluids. Just as he was about to start rescue breathing Dean jackknifed in the bed dragging in a big breath before screaming bloody murder.
Stumbling backwards at the action and taking a minute to catch his breath Sam rushed forward to calm Dean, "It's alright buddy I just need to know what happened. I-"
"Ahhhh!" Dean screamed eyes scanning the room but unseeing with a cloudy haze from the fever covering the normally bright green eyes.
Placing a hand on the trembling shoulder Sam tried again, "Calm down Dean. Just talk to me."
A burning hand landed on his forearm along with fever bright eyes landing on him, "Help me! I need help!"
He was delirious and Sam didn't even know where to start, "Ok buddy I'm just going to check you over quick and see if we can't get you better."
Waiting until his brother was settling back into the pillows and quietly muttering to himself he started a quick exam. Starting from the top he mentally noted the obvious fever, running nose and wheezy breaths. Moving down he pulled the layers of sheets and quilts away and was attacked by the retched smell of piss and if the smell was anything to go by it must be days old. Swiping the blankets away so he could look for any further damage what he saw caused him to take a step back and dry heave to the side.
Looking back at him from the soiled bed was Dean's scrawny teenage body covered in sloppy dental floss stitches that were puckering red around the edges showing infection and bloody pus leaking from the biggest gash across his entire torso leading from his right shoulder down to his left hip. Whatever had gotten his brother had gotten him good.
Glancing farther down his saw he was clad in only a soiled pair of green boxers and farther down what he saw actually did make him lose his meager breakfast of coffee and a bagel.
Dean's left leg was broken in multiple spots with the bone sticking out through the shin, leaving his foot facing in a ninety degree angle. Wiping his mouth and turning back to face his brother he grabbed the sweaty palm before cursing, "Stupid son of a bitch didn't even get you help."
"S'mmy?" Dean mumbled squeezing the hand back.
"I'm gonna get you help and then you and me are going to settle down somewhere. You just gotta stay with me little bro."
At this point whenever he saw those forest green eyes slid close he was panicking that he would never see them open again, "Just stay with me I'm getting help."
SPN SPN SPN
"Thanks for coming Bobby." Sam answered hearing the familiar squeak of old work boots against linoleum come up behind him in the hospital room he had been residing in for the past couple of days.
"You boys are practically my sons I wouldn't rather be anywhere else," The older man answered taking a seat next to the oldest Winchester as they observed the youngest sleeping comfortably in the bed, "I just wish I could have gotten here sooner."
"Wouldn't have been much to see." Sam replied. They had been here for nearly five days and the first three consisted of constant tests, surgeries and different medications, but he hadn't left his brother's side and he wasn't planning on leaving any time soon.
After a few minutes of silence passed Bobby broke the silence, "What did you do to John?"
It was the question that needed to be asked but nobody wanted to waste the time answering, "Don't know. When they came for Dean I left and I haven't asked or been asked about him since. There wasn't much left to do with anyways so pauper's burial I suppose." It was said with such nonchalance that at a different time or perhaps a different life it would have broken Sam's heart to hear him talk about his father like that but now he couldn't even get himself to shed a single tear for the man who had single handedly broken his family and nearly killed his baby brother, "is it wrong that I don't even feel bad that he killed himself?"
Both of them looked over to the body in the bed with a single leg raised in a brace while steady beeping from the monitors signaled that Dean was still alive, "Sam," Bobby began turning to face the young former hunter, "I would think something was wrong with you if you did."
"Good," he reached for Dean's free hand and squeezed it tightly, "You awake buddy? You have a visitor and I promise it isn't Nurse Sherry."
"Promise?"
That stopped all conversation in the room.
"I promise Dean," Sam was on his feet and moving to stand next to the bed while Bobby went for the nurses, "now open those eyes for me. You know you're missing a awesome Batman marathon right now."
Moaning a little bit Dean licked his lips and pried open one of his eyes, "Happy?"
The smile that spread across Sam's face lit up the room when he saw his brother looking up at him tiredly, "It's great to see you awake man."
"Can't say I like the feeling much myself," Dean replied letting his eye come to half mast.
"I beg to differ young man,"
Turning around Sam saw hated Nurse Sherry come through the doors followed by Bobby, "You lied Sam."
Turning back around he found Dean with a blood pressure cuff around one of his arms and thermometer in his mouth while Sherry took down the vitals, "You have been a sick young man Mr. Winchester. Now let's get a good look at that stomach of yours."
SPN SPN SPN
Dean had long since fallen back asleep after the vicious exam that had taken three nurses and morphine to get the teen through before he finally fell back asleep. Sam and Bobby had to leave the room because of the anger looking at the wounds caused the adults as the wounds were uncovered during the exam.
Sitting in the hospital cafeteria Bobby spoke up over his cup of coffee, "So what happened to him? It looks like a butcher came at him."
Sighing Sam took another sip of his latte before answering, "Might have well been a butcher. When I came to the motel room I found Dad dead by the door and Dean in bed. I thought at first Dean was just sick or something but as I got closer I realized something wasn't right. I found Dean with an open compound fracture in his leg with the starts of gangrene setting in. The Doctors said he had most likely been left untreated for days probably closer to a week!"
Bobby pushed away his unfinished bagel as he stomach suddenly turned, "That doesn't explain the rest of him. What happened?"
"He hasn't been awake enough to tell me what they were hunting, but whatever it was Dad did a shit job of stitching him back together. I found him with dental floss stitches and they were horribly done. His surgeon said I was lucky I found him when I did because if it would have been a day or even a couple hours later he wouldn-, He would be-" Sam couldn't get himself to finish the sentence sending a glance down to his cup of caffeine and suddenly wished it was something much stronger.
"I get it boy." Bobby said letting one of his calloused hands rest on Sam's hand.
"Just thank you," Sam breathed out letting his eyes clear up before looking across the table, "thank you for being here."
"Family doesn't end in blood son. You boys are all the family I have had in a long time," the hunter replied with a rough smile before standing up and brushing his hands on his greased stained pants, "speaking of family I think we are missing one."
SPN SPN SPN
Days passed before Dean was able to stay up for long periods of time. When he finally accomplished the task it was a never ending stream of questions.
"So does Sammy have a girlfriend? I bet she is way out of your league. Did you go to lots of parties? How about the Impala? Where is she?"
Laughing Sam answered as he stretched out in the plastic chair while Bobby was gone getting the Winchester's belongings, "One question at a time kiddo. I'll start out with a girlfriend and no I don't and I haven't gone to lots of parties."
Dean huffed while gingerly crossing his arms over his sore torso, "At least tell me you saved the Impala."
Looking down at his lap blushing, "Well…"
"Are you serious man?" Dean exclaimed letting the bed move into a sitting position, "baby is a classic and you just left her?"
"Bobby went to get her," Sam replied. He couldn't believe he was talking to his brother about a car like it was a human being, but whatever made the kid happy, "how are you feeling Dean?"
The room changed from jovial and somewhat cheerful to somber and serious.
"I'm fine Sam."
Taking a deep breath Sam realized how it was going to be, "No really Dean. How are you doing? You haven't been through a walk in the park the last couple of months and clearly you've be distracted while hunting. So tell me how you are doing."
Looking up from his lap Dean let out a hollow laugh, "You think this happened from hunting?"
Sam watched as Dean tilted his head back and laughed hysterically, "God I can't believe you are so naïve. I haven't been hunting since the day you left we've been moving from one town to the next, left whenever the bruises got to noticeable."
"What are you talking about?"
"It's been just me, Dad and the highway since you left Sammy," Dean answered gingerly reaching for his cup of water sitting on the desk in front of him, "Let's just say it hasn't been all rainbows and puppies since you left big brother." Finally reaching his cup he took a sip of water.
Sam sunk back in his seat with the realization of what he left his brother to deal with while he essentially left him high and dry for nearly a year while he was out enjoying himself at college and starting a new life, "Dean I'm-"
"Save it Sam. "How was it possible for his brother to suddenly sound like such an adult like he was the older brother?
"I really am sorry Dean. If only I would have known."
Holding up a hand shakily to stop Sam he started up again, "Sam stop, its water under the bridge. You can't do anything about it anymore and neither can I. Now whenever you feel like you want to go back go ahead. Call me though sometimes I missed talking to you."
"I'm not leaving Dean," Sam answered standing up and walking to sit on the edge of the hospital bed careful of the now casted leg and still tender teen, "I didn't leave Stanford because Bobby called. I left because I have been looking for you for months. I missed you Dean and now that I found you I'm never leaving you again."
He watched as disbelief crossed his brother's face which turned to a neutral expression, "I know I'm not 100% yet but I'm not broken anymore. You can tell me you're leaving and it will be ok, just don't mess with me anymore Sam."
"I'm not messing with you," taking a deep breath he continued, "I just- I can't leave you again. You're like my kid, I raised you. Once you get released here me and you are going somewhere and we are going to settle down. I'm going to get a job and you're going to have a normal life. No more hunting, moving from town to town, nothing. We are just going to be Sam and Dean Winchester."
"And just how do you think you're going to do that Sam? You've never had a legit job; don't have a solid background, nothing. Essentially we have never existed."
"Dean-"
"You boys are coming to live with me."
The brothers turned around to see Bobby stroll into the hospital room carrying a tray of coffee and Dean's duffel.
"Bobby I couldn't-"
"Nobody is asking Sam. I'm telling you boys that you are coming. End of conversation."
SPN SPN SPN
It had been two months since Dean was admitted to the hospital and it had finally come time to be discharged at last.
"I want you to report anything abnormal at all," Nurse Sherry instructed as she helped Dean to his feet, "be careful on your leg and mindful of your stitches. "
"Yes Mother." Dean snarked as he grabbed the crutches from her and started towards the door clad in the new pair of jeans and grey shirt Bobby had gotten him. The other ones smelt from being in the room for too long.
"Ready to go Dean?" Sam asked coming in and grabbing the bag of prescriptions for his brother and Bobby came in swinging the keys of the truck in his hand.
"Never been more ready in my life Sammy." He answered with a smile giving the room one last look before exiting it and starting towards his new life.
Reviews?
P.S: Please be gentle. This is my first writing I have done in months so I know it's not up to pair with my other writings so please let me know what you liked, disliked, etc. Let me know!