He's a child himself. Barely five years old with the stench of smoke still covering his body. He's staring in shock at the ruins of his house…the fact that his mommy's gone forever still doesn't quite make any sense.
But when a fireman walks up and asks to talk to his daddy alone, Dean does know what to do. He accepts his baby brother the same way he did a half hour previous as he father moves off the hood of the Impala. Allowing Dean to walk alone around the car to awkwardly open the back seat door.
He gets in, holding Sammy tight against him, noticing only briefly that Sammy's eyes are now wide open and there's a tiny smile on the corners of his mouth.
Dean rests his brother in the car seat in the back then curls his body around the seat.
He stares point blank at his baby brother's face. Sam doesn't mind the close proximity, in fact he lets out a piercing laugh to show his excitement by it.
Dean leans forward a little more, "I love you, Sammy," his whispers, his childish voice shaking with emotions. "And I promise that no matter what, I'm always going to protect you…even if Daddy goes away just like mommy, I'm always gonna take care of you."
Sam's hand shoots out to latch around Dean's nose. He lets out another laugh as his finger bite into his big brother's flesh.
Dean rolls his eyes, lifts Sam from the car seat and rests him on his lap. He circles both arms around the tiny body and buries his face into the back of Sam's neck.
"I swear I'm gonna protect you Sammy,"
He doesn't know yet from what…but he knows he means every single word.