Hello all! I'm finally back with my new Three Brothers story. This is a prequel to The Lost Son. Daniel is 17...Dean is 16...Sam is 12.

Summary: While on a training mission in the wilderness, the hunters learn it isn't always the biggest and the strongest who will save the day.

Disclaimer: If you recognize them from the show, they don't belong to me. If you don't...they're all mine!!!!

Moving Mountains

John stuffed the last of the supplies into the back of his truck before slamming the tailgate shut with a loud bang. He glanced over as Caleb strolled up to the curb and gazed into the back of the truck.

"You better not have forgotten the coffee, old man," the younger hunter said as he perused the boxes.

"It's there, Caleb…don't worry," John said with a grin as he shook his head and stepped up onto the sidewalk.

"Just checking, Johnny," Caleb replied.

John started toward the small house he and his boys had been living in for the past two months, the man looking over his shoulder and grinning as he watched Caleb climb into the bed of the truck and begin rummaging through the boxes. John continued to the house, eager to be on the road. There were just three things he had to check on before that could happen. He ascended the stairs to the porch and stepped through the front door, the screen door slamming shut behind him as he made his way to the stairs leading up to the second floor. He glanced up the stairs and smiled as he heard the sound of his son's voices rising with laughter as they prepared for their trip. John reined in his smile and put on his sternest face as he squared his shoulders.

"Boys! We leave in five! Get a move on!" he shouted up the stairs.

"Yes, sir! We're ready!" Dean's voice called from above.

"Then get your butts down here!" John called, the man chuckling as he listened to his boys rush around upstairs in obvious panic.

John moved into the livingroom to wait for his sons and took a seat on the sofa. A few moments later he was rewarded with the sound of footsteps hurrying down the stairs. He looked up as Sam came rushing into the livingroom, his backpack slung over one shoulder. Sam came to a halt and he smiled warmly when his eyes met his father's.

"Hey, Dad," the twelve year old said as he moved further into the room.

"Sammy…you have everything?" John asked, the tall man standing and walking up to his youngest.

Sam nodded as he gazed up at his father. "Yes. My sleeping bag's already in the truck and I have two changes of clothes, my compass and knife in my backpack," the boy answered eagerly.

John reached out and ruffled Sam's unruly hair and smiled warmly. "That's good. What about books?" he asked with a raise of his eyebrow.

"What?" Sam queried in return as his hazel eyes rose to meet his fathers.

"Did you sneak books in? This isn't a pleasure trip, Sam. We're going up there to train, not to lay around and read," John said sternly.

"I…uh…" Sam stammered, his eyes dropping to the floor.

"Sam…I told you, essentials only," John said as he took hold of Sam's arm and turned him around.

"'m sorry. I just thought that at night…"

"You'll be too tired to read at the end of the day. You'll need to get as much sleep as you possibly can," John interrupted as he unzipped Sam's backpack.

Sam bit at his bottom lip as John rummaged in his pack, his eyes catching sight of his brothers as they came down the stairs, packs and sleeping bags in hand. The two elder boys stopped, their gazes moving from Sam's sullen, stricken face to their father.

"Uh…Dad…we're ready," Daniel said, the eldest brother moving forward in the hopes of offering his baby brother support.

John looked up with dark eyes and nodded toward the door. "Go out and get your stuff in the truck. Sam and I will be out in a minute," John said, the man turning his attention back to Sam's pack and fully expecting his sons to obey without question.

"Yes, sir," the boys said, both looking at Sam apologetically before turning and walking out the front door.

John looked up when the screen door slammed then turned Sam back around. He held two books in his hands as he gazed down at his youngest son's upturned face. His heart clenched as he was suddenly struck with how much his baby reminded him of his beloved Mary. His inquisitive nature and love of books. His intelligence and quest for knowledge. The innocence in his eyes. John looked down at the books then back up at his son. He reached down and took Sam's hand then placed one of the books in his hand. Sam looked at the book in his hand then looked up at his father with confusion.

"I…what are you doing?" the boy asked softly.

"One half hour per night, Sammy. That's how long you can read before you have to hit the hay. You can read on the trip up and the trip back if you want, but once we get to camp, its work time," John replied, giving the boy a quick wink.

"Thanks, Dad," Sam said as he tugged the book next to his body.

John smiled down at the small boy then turned him toward the door. "We need to get on the road. Josh is already at the camp and we have a three hour drive ahead of us," he said as he followed Sam out the door.

Sam looked up as he hit the bottom step and smiled when he saw his brothers waiting for him near the back of John's truck. Caleb stood nearby, the hunter leant up against his own rig. John and Sam approached the three hunters and once Sam's backpack was stowed in the back of John's truck, they were ready to go.

"I'll ride with Caleb, if that's okay," Dean said as he gazed up at his father.

"That's fine with me," John said in reply.

Dean nodded then turned to his younger brother. "Don't talk their ears off, kiddo," he said as he ruffled Sam's hair.

Sam shook his brother off and lightly slugged Dean's arm. "I don't talk that much, Dean. Shut up!" he cried before sticking out his tongue at the older boy.

Dean laughed then turned to join Caleb who had already gotten into his SUV. He turned around and watched as first Sam, then Daniel climbed into the passenger side of John's truck. John was making his way around the truck when the sound of Dean's voice stopped him.

"You drive carefully, Dad," Dean called, his green eyes moving away from his father and settling on the two other occupants of the truck.

John nodded and smiled as he opened the driver's door. "I will, Dean. You and Caleb be careful too," he answered.

"We will. See you up there," Dean said.

John turned away and stepped up into his truck. The engine roared to life a few moments later then the large truck pulled away from the curb and headed down the street. Dean slid into the passenger seat of Caleb's rig and slammed the door shut. He turned to Caleb and nodded as he engaged his seatbelt. "Let's hit it, Caleb," he said with a grin.

Sam straightened and stretched his arms high above his head. He'd just packed in his fifth armload of firewood and he was worn out. The cabin that he and his family were sharing had a large fireplace at one end and just looking at the shabby walls was enough to know that they would need the heat. Sam looked down and blew out an exhausted breath before bending over and piling the load of wood onto the stack he had made with the previous four loads. He slid the last piece of wood into place then straightened again. He looked around the room and sighed heavily. This would be their home for the next week or so. No electricity, no running water, cracked windows and walls. They'd lived in worse. Sam shook his head and moved across the room toward the door. He stepped out onto the porch then bounded down the steps and ran up to his brothers.

"Hey, squirt…where you been?" Dean queried as he reached out and tugged his baby brother to his side.

"Been bringing in firewood while you've been looking at that Playboy you snuck into your duffel," Sam said with a snort.

Dean pulled away and stared down at his little brother. "Wh…I…no I wasn't!" he cried indignantly. "You know, Sammy…you're quite the smartass for such a little kid!"

"Better to be a smartass than a dumbass," Sam said with a grin, the boy nearly busting out laughing at the look of shock on Dean's face.

"Hey…better not let Dad hear you talking like that, little man," Daniel said as he lightly slugged his brother on the arm.

Sam gazed up at his eldest brother and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Danny," he whispered.

Daniel shook his head and reached out to ruffle his baby brother's hair. "Don't worry about it, kiddo," he said affectionately.

"Boys!" John's voice boomed, prompting the three brothers to swiftly turn and face the direction that the Winchester patriarch was calling from.

"Yeah, Dad!?" Daniel called back as he moved toward his father.

John strolled quickly towards his boys and stopped just in front of his eldest son. "I've set up a training course in the woods due east. I want you and Dean to take this map and follow it. You have two hours. We have an early morning, so get it done and get back here so you can get to bed," John instructed as he handed a folded piece of paper to Daniel.

Sam moved forward and gazed up at his father. "What about me, Dad? Aren't I going with them?" he asked with wide hazel eyes.

John looked down into his youngest son's upturned face and smiled. "Not this time, Sammy…"

"But, Dad…you said we were coming up here for training. You said I would be training too," Sam cried.

"Not when it's dark, kiddo…it's to dangerous," Dean said, the older boy reaching out to squeeze Sam's shoulder.

Sam turned to his brother and stared up at him. "I'm not a little kid, Dean!" he snapped before turning back to his father. "Dad…I can do this. Please let me go with them," he pleaded.

"Son, you'll get plenty of training, but not tonight. This is for Daniel and Dean," John explained.

"You always say that. You don't think I can do anything…none of you do!" Sam cried.

Daniel reached out and grasped his baby brother's shoulder. He gently turned him then crouched down until he was eye level with the smaller boy. "Sammy…I get it, okay. You want to be doing what Dean and I are doing, but you're not quite ready yet to be out there in the dark. Dean and I have been training at home for this. You'll get your chance…when you're a little older…and a little bigger," the eldest brother said, his heart clenching at the look in his baby brother's eyes.

Sam gazed at his brother with wet, wide eyes. "I've been training too. I've been shooting, and I know how to use the compass and Dad's been teaching me tracking. I know I'm small, but I can do this," he said.

"Sam…this isn't up for discussion," John said sternly as he turned his son back around. "You are not going with your brothers and that's final."

"But, Dad…"

"No buts, Sam. I want you to go in and get the fire going then I want you to eat something before you go to bed. Believe me, you're going to need the rest for tomorrow," John said, his dark eyes staring down at the boy and leaving no room for anymore arguments.

Sam's shoulders sagged and he dropped his eyes to the ground at his feet. "Yes, sir," he said, his voice filled with defeat. The boy dragged his feet as he made his way slowly back to the rundown cabin then looked over his shoulder before climbing the steps and disappearing into the cabin. Once Sam was behind the closed door, John turned to his other two sons, the man clearing his throat to get the two teenagers attention when he saw that they were still watching the cabin door.

"Boys…he's fine. I need your minds on the training mission. Get your packs and get moving and remember…two hours," he said.

"Yes, sir," the boys said in unison before moving to the truck to remove their packs. Once they had everything they needed, they headed toward the trees, both boys thrumming with excitement at their first solo training mission.

Sam closed the door behind himself and dropped his chin to his chest. He took a deep breath then moved toward the woodpile and pulled several pieces of wood into his arms. He moved back across the room to the fireplace and dropped the armful of wood to the floor. He felt a sudden burning in his eyes and wiped at them with the back of his hand.

"Suck it up, ya big baby," he whispered to himself as he moved to the window and looked outside.

Sam bit at his bottom lip as he watched his older brothers walk toward the trees, the boy swallowing against the lump in his throat as the teenagers disappeared into the dark forest a few moments later. He felt a surge of fear ripple through him as he thought of his brothers out in the woods alone. He knew his father would not have set up an easy course for his brothers to follow, but then he also knew that the man would not put his sons in any undue danger either. Sam watched John stroll over to the smaller cabin where Caleb and Joshua were staying and disappear inside. He heaved a heavy sigh then got to work on the fire. A few minutes later the fire was roaring in the fireplace and the cabin was warming up nicely.

Sam watched the fire dancing behind the fire screen for a few minutes then turned toward the boxes that had been packed in from the truck. He gazed at the boxes, but turned away immediately as he didn't have much of an appetite anymore. His disappointment at being left out of the night training coupled with his worry for his brothers left him feeling a bit nauseous so he figured the best thing for him to do would be to turn in for the night. Even the thought of lying down and reading a few chapters of his book didn't appeal to him. Sam picked up his backpack and dug his sleep clothes out. After shedding his shirts and jeans, he pulled on his sleepwear then picked his sleeping bag up from the floor and spread it out on the floor near the fireplace.

Sam went to the boxes and found the water they had brought then retrieved his toothbrush and toothpaste from his pack. He went out onto the porch and brushed his teeth then rinsed his mouth and toothbrush with the water. He glanced at the area where his brothers had disappeared into the woods and sent up a silent prayer, asking whomever to keep them safe. He turned and re-entered the cabin then set his water, toothbrush and toothpaste on a small table near the fireplace. He climbed into his sleeping bag then reached for his jacket. He balled the jacket up to use as a pillow then rested his head upon it. He closed his eyes and willed his breathing to slow and within minutes, the boy was sound asleep.

John bid goodnight to his friends before stepping from their small cabin into the chilled mountain air. He glanced toward the woods and wondered how his sons were doing then turned his attention to the other cabin. He took a deep breath as he looked at the cabin. He really didn't want to face Sam yet. He understood why the boy was upset and hated that he had put the defeated look on his face, but he knew that Sam was not ready for night training yet. Daniel and Dean had been training for this and it was their first solo test. If Sam were there, they would be more focused on their baby brother than the training and that could lead to someone getting hurt. John sighed then began to walk toward the cabin. As much as he didn't want to see that look in his baby's eyes again, he knew he had to talk to Sam and try to make him understand why he had to stay behind.

John went up the steps and crossed the small porch then pushed open the door and stepped into the warm cabin. He fully expected to find Sam sitting on the rundown sofa and reading his book, but when he closed the door his attention was drawn to the fireplace and he smiled warmly at the image of his peacefully sleeping son. The cabin was illuminated only by the burning logs in the fireplace and the warm glow of the flames lit upon Sam's young face, making him look even younger than his twelve years. John stepped quietly across the room and knelt down next to his son. He reached down and tugged the sleeping bag up further around Sam's shoulders then brushed his fingers tenderly over the sleeping boy's cheek.

"I'm sorry, Sammy," John whispered as he continued to watch Sam sleep. "I know how much you want to be just like your brothers, but it scares me so badly sometimes."

John watched Sam for a few more minutes then pushed up from the floor. He walked to the boxes that had been placed along the opposite wall and found the one that held the two lanterns he had brought. He pulled one out and within moments had it lit. He carried it to the sofa and sunk down onto the musty smelling cushions. He'd give Daniel and Dean another half hour and then he would take the other path to the training course he had set up. He had faith that his boys would do well, but the father in him couldn't help but worry. He would just sneak out and check on them then return to the cabin before they got back. John settled back on the couch and crossed one leg over his knee. He appeared to be relaxed and calm, but inside he was a bundle of nerves. The only way he would be able to fully relax would be when he had all three of his sons back in the cabin and under his watchful eye.

Sam watched as his brothers got further and further up the path and away from him. He hurried as fast as he could, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep up with his taller, faster brothers. He called out to them to wait up for him, but the teenagers still pulled further ahead. Soon, Sam lost sight of his brothers altogether and a sudden rush of fear washed over him. He picked up his speed, his feet suddenly slipping on the rocky path and nearly bringing him to his knees. Sam righted himself and hurried ahead. He was at almost a full run when he stumbled out of the trees and into a small clearing. He pulled up to a stop when he saw his brothers standing near the edge of a drop off, the two teenagers peering over the edge and speaking quietly to one another.

Sam called out to his brothers, but a sudden rumbling drowned out his words before they had a chance to reach their ears. The earth began to tremble beneath his feet, the movement violent enough to knock him from his feet. His terrified eyes remained glued to his brothers as he attempted to regain his footing by grabbing hold of tree branches the hung close to him. Sam pulled himself up and started toward his brothers, the rocking of the earth making the going very difficult. Dean and Daniel turned toward their brother, each holding onto the other to keep from falling to the ground. Suddenly, a large crack sounded over the rumbling and the earth beneath the elder boy's feet gave way, sending both over the edge of the drop off and into the abyss below. Sam screamed out and rushed forward, the boy amazingly keeping on his feet. Just as he reached the spot where his brothers had been standing, the earth suddenly stopped shaking and the forest was plunged into an eerie silence.

"Dean! Danny!" Sam screamed as he dropped to his knees and crawled to the edge of the drop off.

He reached the edge and peered over the rim, his heart clenching in his chest when nothing but dirt and rock and mangled trees met his desperate eyes.

"Nonononono," he chanted as he dropped his legs over the edge and began to shimmy down the treacherous cliff.

Sam slowly made his way down the slope, his hazel eyes scanning the rubble in search of any sign of his brothers. All he saw was destruction. He stopped and gazed around helplessly as realization that the odds of his brothers surviving their fall was pretty much nil. He dropped to his knees, his hands falling limply to his sides as tears streamed down his dusty cheeks.

"No!" he cried softly, his eyes taking in the devastation with shock. Suddenly overcome with paralyzing grief, Sam could not stop the scream that tore from his raw throat.

"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Oooooo...evil cliffie (no pun intended) right off the bat! I'm so bad! So, what do you think so far. Should I continue? Please let me know.

Cindy

A/N~~I just want to say that I had this story mapped out long before the devastating earthquake in Haiti. My thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Haiti and to all of the people affected by this terrible event. God bless you all.