Dean sat at the table cleaning his gun for the second time. The motel room was too quiet. His dad had left on a hunt, and Sam was at a Birthday party. Dean glanced up at the clock two more hours until he went to get his little brother. Most of the time Sam was a pain is Dean's butt, but Dean also hated not having him around. When the phone rang he leaped at it hoping it was Sam wanting to come home early.
"Hello." Dean said smiling ready to poke fun at his brother for wanting to leave early. Dean was very disappointed when his father's voice answered him.
"Dean, did I leave a piece of paper on the nightstand?" John asked.
"What, oh ah no sir."
"What's wrong Dean?"
"Nothing sir."
"He'll be home soon son, he needs to be around kids his own age sometimes. So do you did you go to the movie like I told you to?"
"Nothing I wanted to see."
"I thought you said a group of kids were going to that horror film."
"Sammy wanted to see that." Dean said in a whisper. "Besides kids my age wouldn't really understand it when I laughed at the monster."
John laughed. "Yeah I guess you're right, but son I was serious about you boys spending a few hours apart before we head down the road again. If I have to listen to you boys fighting again the both of you will be riding in the trunk."
"Yes sir."
"This was Pastor Jim's idea said you two where together to much. And though I would never say this to him I agree with him so go do something, leave that motel take a walk, go look at cars, just get out of the motel room. That's an order Dean."
Dean could not help sitting a little straighter as he said. "Yes sir."
"Sam will call you when he is ready for you to come get him." John said.
"Yes sir." Dean said again.
"I'll see you boys tonight and we will head out in the morning." John said then the call ended. Dean smiled his father never said bye just hung up. After a few minutes Dean sighed grabbed his coat and headed out of the motel room. He made sure the Do Not Disturb sign was on the door handle as he locked the door then headed toward the nearby mall. At fifteen Dean should love hanging at the mall watching girls, but to him it was a total waste of time. He would have much rather gone with his father. Dean sat on one of the many benches in the mall, he would sit here for thirty minutes so he could honestly tell his father that he had not only left the motel but he had also 'hung out' with kids his own age.
Dean had only been at the mall five minutes when his phone rang. "Hello."
A female voice said. "Hello Mr. Winchester?"
"One of them" Dean answered. "Who is this?"
"This is Mrs. Forester, Nick's mother."
Dean thought for a moment then remembered that Nick was the kid having the Birthday party that Sam had went to. Instantly Dean was on guard. "Is Sam okay?"
"I'm sorry is this Sam's father?" Mrs. Forester asked.
"I'm Sam's older brother Dean, our father is at work. Is Sammy okay?"
"Don't worry I'm sure everything is fine."
"What do you mean you're sure you should know that everything is okay?" Dean snapped as he stood and headed toward the exit.
"Now listen young man there is no reason to be rude. Perhaps you should give me a number where I can reach your father."
"I'll be at your house in five minutes." Dean snapped as he hung up the phone and headed toward the Forester's house. At first Dean was walking quickly but before he even got out of the mall parking lot he was in a full run. He did not stop running until he reached the door of the Forester household. He did not even bother with the doorbell just started banging on the door.
The door was opened by a middle aged woman in jeans and a sweatshirt. She smiled slightly. "You weren't kidding were you?"
"Where's my brother?" Dean asked through clenched teeth. His lungs felt as though they were on fire and his heart was in his throat but none of that mattered right now.
"Please come in Dean." Mrs. Forester said stepping aside so Dean could enter her house.
"Sam" Dean called as he stepped in.
"Oh he's not in the house." Mrs. Forester said picking up her phone. "A number please for your father."
Dean glared at the woman who took a small step back. He pulled out his phone and dialed his father's number.
"Dean why are you calling?" John asked.
"Dad I'm at that house you dropped Sammy off at."
"Dean I told you not to bother him until six." John fumed.
"The mother called me Dad she won't tell me where Sammy is." Dean said his heart not calming any.
"Hand her the phone." John said calmly.
Dean handed the phone to the smiling woman. "Hello Mr. Winchester." Was all the woman got out. Dean could not hear what his father was saying but could tell by the look on the woman's face that it was not 'How's your day'.
Mrs. Forester handed the phone back to Dean who saw that the woman's hand was shaking slightly. "Your father is on his way home. He said he should be here in about an hour."
"And my brother?" Dean asked trying to stay calm.
"What, oh come with me?" Mrs. Forester said as she turned and headed to the back door of her house. "The boys are outside, I'm not sure what happened you'll have to talk to them."
Dean nodded and followed the woman out the back door and into the back yard. Dean scanned the area and saw that the Forester's home was on the edge of an actual forest. He also saw five boys sitting at a picnic table there were sandwiches in front of them but none of them was eating. As he came closer Dean noticed that the boys kept glancing at the forest and shuttering.
"Nick honey this is Dean, Sam's brother." Mrs. Forester said laying her hand on one of the boys shoulder. "You boys need to tell him what happened."
Nick nodded but did not say anything. Dean walked around the table looking at each boy. None of them would look up at him. Dean noticed that there were six plates on the table with six bags in front of each. He looked to his left and saw that a blanket had been laid out and was piled with presents. He saw right away that the book Sam had got for him and wrapped in the Sunday cartoons was among them. Dean sat down at the empty place at the table.
"Hey." Dean said trying to get one of the boys to look at him. Finally one blonde haired boy slowly raised his head and looked at Dean. "What's your name?"
"Joey." The blonde answered. "You're in my sister's class."
"I am huh what's her name?" Dean asked smiling.
"Sandy. She told mom you where hot." Joey said smiling back.
"Sandy, yeah she sits behind me." Dean forced himself to relax. "Joey can you tell me what happened?"
Joey lowered his head again but nodded as he took a deep breath. "Mrs. Forester said it would be a little while before we ate and to go out and play. We were playing zombie attack when Frank's brothers stepped out of the forest."
"Frank" Dean said looking around the table. A red head slowly raised his hand. "Hey Frank."
"Hey" Frank said softly. "They are my step brothers."
"What happened?" Dean asked.
"They are mean." Frank said. "I have a little sister she is really sweet."
"I'm sure she is Frank what's her name." Dean wanted to scream but he could tell that something had happened to shake these boys up and right now they were the only ones who knew were his little brother was.
"Her name is Maggie, I have to keep her safe, I used to hide away but Sam told me how older brothers are supposed to be." Frank said. "Craig and Greg are in no way the way older brothers are supposed to be."
"How are older brothers supposed to be?" Dean asked.
Frank slowly raised his head and looked at Dean. "Like you."
Dean was taken back a little. "Oh" Was all he could say.
"Greg pushed Frank and called him a cry baby, when Frank tried to get up Greg pushed him down again. Sam ran over and pushed Greg." Dean looked over at Nick who was talking but was not looking up. "Sam took him by surprise and Greg stumbled and fell on his butt. Craig grabbed Sam and we thought he was about to be pummeled."
"But he never even flinched." Dean turned to one of the other boys.
"Excuse me?" Dean asked.
"Sam never even flinched even though Craig and Greg are about twice his size but he didn't even flinch." The boy said. "Craig had his armed pinned behind his back and Greg was stalking closer to him and you know what Sam did?"
"What?" Dean asked.
"Sam looked right at Greg and smiled, and said 'Take your best shot because when my brother finds out your dead." Frank said smiling.
Dean felt his chest swell with pride when he heard that. "So what happened then?"
"My mom came out and yelled at them not to be so ruff." Nick said shaking his head. "Craig let go of Sam but they didn't leave. We tried to ignore them and start our game again. Then Greg started telling us about the monster in the forest."
Dean could not help but perk up at that. "What monster?"
Nick snickered. "It's just a legend around town."
"Tell me." Dean said locking eyes with Nick.
"The story goes that there used to be a cabin in the middle of the forest. A family lived there happily for a long time. But when the mother died giving birth the father snapped. One day he told his kids they were going to play hide and seek the winner would get a prize. The kids scattered through the forest and the father hunted them down one at a time killing them. The last one was the youngest, not knowing what the father had done the two lived in the house, but the father raised the kid to be a twisted killer just like him."
Dean shrugged. "Sounds just like stories I've heard in many other towns."
"Well so the story goes that if you play hide and seek in the forest only one will come out." Frank said.
"So you played?" Dean said standing up.
"Craig and Greg teased us told us we were weak and mama's boys. That set Sam off and he yelled at them that they were the ones that were weak. They dared us to go into the forest they said they would come in and find us." Nick said.
"And you believed them." Dean snapped. "Sam believed them."
The boys all hung their heads again. Mrs. Forester stepped over and put her hand back on her son's shoulder. "Now Dean don't be so rude, the boys were just being boys."
"Okay so they are all here where is my brother?"
"He got caught by the monster." Frank said. He shrunk away from the glare Dean gave him. "We were staying together in pairs Sam was with me. Sam didn't seem afraid at all he walked right in, when I heard something I wanted to leave but Sam went straight toward the noise, I ran."
"Where did you last see him?" Dean asked.
"You aren't going in there?" Nick gasped.
"My brother is in there." Dean said. "Where?"
"We walked straight in between those two big trees then turned left until you see a small stream, that was the last place I saw Sam."
Dean did not wait a second longer as he ran toward the forest he could hear Mrs. Forester calling for him to stop, but he didn't listen, his little brother needed him. He reached the edge of the forest and did as Frank had told him when he reached the small stream he froze and listened. He looked around and could clearly see three sets of tracks. He saw a small set heading deeper into the wood followed by two larger ones.
"If they hurt Sammy they won't make it out of the forest." Dean snarled as he followed the tracks. He soon found himself standing at an old abandon cabin. When he heard voices he dropped down behind a tree pulling his gun out and silently taking off the safety. He glanced around the tree and saw two boys around his age stepping out of the cabin.
"Man did we scare those babies." One of the boys laughed.
"Did you see that one run out of here screaming?" The other said slapping the first on the back.
"I can't wait to get home and rub this in Freak's face."
Dean realized that this must be Craig and Greg, Frank's stepbrothers. He looked around but did not see Sam anywhere.
"Yeah I just wish that one hadn't gotten away I still owe him for shoving me." That one must be Greg, Dean thought to himself smiling at how much bigger then Sam he was.
"We tried dude but we lost him." Craig said with a shrug. "Look on the bright side he probably is lost in the forest and will never be found."
"You better hope that doesn't happen." Dean said stepping out from his hiding place his gun aimed at the brothers.
"Hey man what the hell." Craig said taking a step back.
"Where is my brother?" Dean said coming closer.
"We don't know what you're talking about." Greg said.
"Sam the one you chased."
"That little…" Greg started to say.
Dean lifted the gun and pointed it straight at Greg. "I would think before I said anything."
Craig pushed his brother behind him. "Listen we chased him from the stream we were just going to ruff him up a little but he lost us. I thought that he had come here. We have no idea where he is."
Dean thought for a moment before lowering the gun slightly. "Fine but you two stop picking on Frank."
"And if we don't?" Greg asked.
"I will find you and we will finish this conversation." Dean said through clenched teeth raising his gun again. "Now where did you see my brother last?"
Craig only pointed back toward the forest.
"Fine you two go back to Mrs. Forester and if my Dad is there you tell him where I am." Dean said heading back into the forest. Dean back tracked watching the footprints closer this time. He noticed that Sam's smaller prints did not go all the way to the cabin. He cursed at his self for not watching them closer. He found that Sam's tracks took a quick turn right after a big tree.
"Way to go Sammy they didn't see you turn." Dean said proudly. "Now where did you go from here?"
Dean slowly followed his brother's tracks until they again stopped. He looked up thinking that he would see his little brother standing in front of him, instead he saw a graveyard. Dean slowly walked toward the first grave stone again thinking that Sam would be hiding behind it.
"SAM!" Dean yelled.
Dean looked at some of the grave stones and saw that they were all part of the same family. Dean walked all around the small graveyard trying to find Sam. When he found no tracks or evidence of his brother he started to panic slightly. Then Dean remembered something from their training. John had always told them that if they got lost or separated hide and he would find them. With that thought Dean looked at the area for hiding places, lots of gravestones but he had already checked all of those. The shrubs were too thin to hide anyone. He cursed again Sam had always been better than him at hiding and most of the time Dean never was able to find his brother. Dean was just about to retrace Sam's tracks when he noticed something at the bottom of one of the trees. As he stepped closer he saw that there were fresh leaves and twigs at the bottom of one of the larger trees. He smiled and looked up, soon could just make out the outline of his little brother.
"Hey Sammy, you going to stay up there forever?" Dean said coming over to stand under the tree.
"Dean watch out for the monster." Sam said softly.
"Come on down Sam it was just those two jerks from the party trying to scare you." Dean said smiling. "You aren't going to let those two think they scared you?"
"They aren't the ones I'm scared of." Sam said poking his head through the leaves. "They are."
Dean turned in the direction that Sam pointed. He saw two spirits slowly making their way through the grave yard toward him. Dean realized that he did not have any salt, he thought for a second to climb up with his brother, but realized it was too late. He felt his self rise off the ground and fly through the air and slam into another tree. Stunned Dean saw that one of the ghosts was coming toward him while the other was heading toward Sam. Dean tried to stand but couldn't.
"DEAN SAM DOWN!" John yelled, as he fired at the two spirits. John then ran to Dean's side. "Dean are you okay?"
"Yeah just a little stunned." Dean answered sitting up. "Sammy is in the tree."
"I know can you stand up?" John asked still focused on Dean.
"I'm fine Dad go help Sam." Dean said.
"I'm right here Dean." Sam said knelling down beside his brother. "I'm sorry Dad."
John looked at his youngest son in shock. "Why are you sorry?"
"I ripped my new jeans." Sam said showing the large hole in his jeans. "These are the ones you got me for my birthday."
John smiled. "Don't worry about that do you think you could find the graves that belong to those two?"
"Sure." Sam said brightening and going back to the graves.
"Are you going to be able to help me dig up some graves?" John asked Dean.
"Yeah sure highlight of my day Dad." Dean said standing and leaning against the tree. "Did you by chance bring shovels or are we going to have to dig with our hands."
"Dad is always ready for anything Dean." Sam said coming back over. "Aren't you Dad?"
John just smiled as he stood and walked over to a bag, opening it he pulled out two shovels and a flashlight.
"I'll start Dad I mean Dean did just slam into a tree." Sam said taking one of the shovels and heading to one of the graves. "That one should be the other one."
"Why do you think that these are the ones?" John asked.
"Well those all are smaller child size plus they all have the same day of death. That one over there is a woman's and the two spirits were men. That one has a name and date but this one just has a grave marker no name or dates."
"Very good Sammy" John said as he started digging the other grave.
Hours later the small family made their way out of the forest. John lead them around some houses and to the waiting Impala.
"Dad can I…" Sam started to ask.
"No Sammy I'm sorry but we have to head out as fast as we can." John answered. Dean could see that Sam was about to argue with their father.
"It's my fault Sam I kind of pulled my gun at those two jerks Dad wants to get out of here before they start trouble." Dean told his brother.
"Oh." Sam said nodding. "In that case we better pack up quick."
Ten minutes later the Impala was heading down the road toward the next town. Dean looked into the backseat at Sam who was sound asleep.
"Hey Dad can you promise me something?" Dean asked not taking his eyes off of his brother.
"What's that Dean?"
"Never make us spend time apart again." Dean said as he reached into the back seat and spread his coat over his little brother.