6

Sam flipped on the light in the kitchen. It was so easy for Dean to accept the Men of Letters bunker as home, but Sam still saw institution everywhere he walked. The kitchen was all stainless steel with pots and pans too large for the needs of two men. Dean was curled up on the floor behind the prep table, flanked by numerous beer bottles. For a moment, Sam just leaned against the counter and watched. Too many miracles were happening and he still needed time to process.

24 hours earlier, the best he could've hoped for was escape from the cruel Lady Bevell and an existence empty of all family save Cas. He'd prayed. Sam believed in prayer, but instead of rescue, he'd prayed for death. Quiet, permanent death. Even if it meant Hell. Lady Bevell could cut his flesh, but she couldn't make marks that were deeper than those left from the loss of his father, his friends, and finally, the only person that kept him on his feet- Dean.

And then the miracles came flooding at him- too numerous to count. Rescue- not from Cas- but from the brother he last saw with a soul bomb attached to his chest. That would've been enough. That would've been a miracle worthy of his deepest gratitude, but then his mother appeared and all reason left him. His eyes stayed on her at all times. It had to be demons or djinn or something other evil. He put holy water in the tea he gave her but nothing happened. He wanted to talk to Dean about it, but his brother had disappeared, determined to let Sam have time with Mom.

The hug she gave him left him choked for air. He'd stumbled out of her room, pretending a calm that he didn't possess and went to his room. His body needed the sleep. Cas could cure the cuts, the bruises, and the bullet wound, but his body was still in a state of trauma. But his eyes wouldn't close. Her scent. Her touch. Images of her face. Sounds of her voice. He wanted it seared in his brain because he knew that Winchesters weren't allowed real miracles. She would be gone in the morning and Rowena would be standing over him cackling or, Chuck help him, Lucifer would be behind all this, trying to reclaim his Sam meat suit. So, he stared up at the ceiling fan for hours until he finally remembered his brother.

Poor Dean. No one loved family more deeply than his big brother. Sam knew that he must be jumping out of his skin over all of this, and a rattled Dean tended to self-medicate. He got out of bed and padded down the long hallway. He usually found him passed out at one of the long library tables, head resting on his laptop keyboard. The kitchen was the 2nd place he checked. For some reason, his brother liked to sit on the floor behind the prep table like a little boy hiding in a closet.

He reached out with a stocking foot and nudged him, "Dean. Dean!"

Dean's head snapped up, his eyes blinking comically and Sam smiled as emotion flooded his gut. Somehow, Chuck and Amara had seen fit to give his wild, one of a kind brother back to him.

Dean rubbed at his rheumy eyes and grunted. "What's going on?"

"Dude, she's going to wake up and find you passed out on the kitchen floor. She's not ready for that."

"I'm not passed out. Just resting. Not drunk." Dean scratched his head as he pulled himself slowly to his feet.

"Yeah," Sam said as he pulled two beers out of the refrigerator. "I bet the sun is rising out there. Let's have a little hair of the dog, and celebrate a new day."

Dean took the beer. "Just a couple of days ago, I was going to be the sun."

Sam ignored him and headed up the stairs. The concrete door opened on a sky that was just beginning to color. Sam headed for Baby and eased onto the hood. He took a long drag as Dean leaned against the windshield on the other side.

Dean looked at the beer but didn't drink it. "I probably smell like booze, don't I?"

Sam grinned. "Most days."

"She had such a look on her face when I was eating that pie. I mean, was I wrong? I was happy about the pie. That can't be wrong, can it?"

"You eat like you were raised by wolves, you know?"

Dean frowned at him. "Really?"

Sam sighed. "Yeah."

"Alright. I gotta work on that. I can't be uncivilized anymore."

"Both of us, I guess."

"I know," Dean nodded. "Your farts, Dude. It's a thing."

Sam closed his eyes and turned his face up to the sky. Pink and orange filled the horizon.

Dean watched him. "You okay?"

Sam shrugged. "Thought you were dead. "Then I hoped I would die. The thought of it felt really peaceful."

"She roughed you up bad. The burns. The cuts. We should never have let that Mick take that bitch out of there alive."

"They think we're apes. They think we've done more harm than good. Is she right?"

"You know better than that," Dean drawled as he lost the battle with the bottle and took a swig.

Sam nodded. "I just wanted to hear you say it."

Dean stared at him. "You know, Sam, if the bomb thing would've happened, Cas would've found you and rescued you. You would've been okay."

Sam looked away.

"Hell, you lost me before. All you would've needed to do is get a girlfriend and a dog."

Sam tried to jump off the car but Dean caught him. "Sorry, Sam. Cheap shot. I'm a dick. Don't leave. This is nice, you know. The two of us sitting here. Waiting for Mom to wake up. I mean, this is living the dream."

Sam relaxed against the windshield again. "Too good to be true."

Dean nodded. "Don't I know it."

"I'm scared. How long do we get happiness like this? It's freaking me out."

"Me too."

Sam took a deep breath. "I'm not like you. I die and you break all the rules bringing me back to life 'cause that's what you do. You die and I just want to die too…even the time I got the dog."

Dean thought for a moment. "All we got is today, Sammy. Not just us. It's the same way for everybody. They just don't know it. We got today and we have to be happy we have it and we got to not worry about tomorrow until it's here. Okay?"

He sighed. "Yeah."

"Let's go wake her up and take out to Biggerson's for the Epic 7 Meat Grand Slam breakfast."

"No."

Come on! You can stare at her all you want and she'll be too busy eating to creep out."

"Not Biggerson's. You're like a shark at a feeding frenzy whenever we go there. I'll go get some eggs and bacon. We'll eat in the bunker."

"Yeah, but I like the thing where you get the French toast, pancakes, cinnamon roll, and hash browns plus all the meats in the same order."

"Not happening," Sam said squinting into the rising sun.

Suddenly, a large shadow blotted out the light and they both lurched forward.

"Castiel!" Dean shouted. "What have I said about just appearing. I'm getting you a bell."

Cas furrowed his brow. "We've talked about this, Dean. A bell is impractical. It impedes my stealth."

"We were having a private conversation!"

Castiel ignored Dean. "Sam, you're healed but you do need sleep in order to heal emotionally. I could put you into a light coma for the day."

"Aw that's sweet but no… thanks anyway, Cas." Sam said as he slid off the hood.

Dean threw up his arms. "We were having a brother moment here!"

"I know," Cas said. "I was listening."

"Dude!"

"Sam, even though you and I are both glad he's alive, I want you to know I would've been a good friend to you if you'd been left without anyone after the Darkness."

"Appreciate it. Time to sober up," Sam said as he wrestled the beer bottle from Dean and poured the rest onto the ground.

"In fact, if an event of that sort ever does occur, I was thinking that you and I could get a dog."

Sam blinked and turned to Cas. "Really?"

"I had thought of it after Dean left to face Amara, but I didn't think it was the right time to bring it up."

"Very sensitive of you," Sam said, trying to suppress a grin.

"There will never be a dog in my Baby!" Dean shouted.

Castiel still ignored him. "I was thinking of a German Shepherd. They are very loyal and their ears always point toward heaven."

Sam nodded. "I love it. Cas, why don't you come with me to the store?"

Castiel got into the passenger seat. "We'd call it Steve…but only if it's a girl. If we got a boy, I was thinking Spot."

"Go take a shower and steam the liquor out of your pores," Sam ordered Dean before returning his attention to Cas. "Interesting name choices. Can you work it so we get a puppy that's already potty trained?"

Castiel scowled and put his head out the window. "I don't know. Steve would need her bladder and bowels, so removing them would be out of the question."

"Don't worry, buddy," Sam said patting him on the shoulder. "We'll read books and watch Youtube."

"Nobody is getting a dog!" Dean shouted.

"Keys!" Sam demanded.

Dean dug them out of his jacket and threw them to his brother. "Lots of bacon."

"Cas, let's you and I look at some breeders online or are you thinking rescue?"

"I…hadn't gotten that far, I guess."

"We need a plan. Let's talk this through. Getting Steve is a big commitment, you know."

"Of course," Castiel nodded. "There are many things for us to consider."

"Never happening!" Dean yelled as the car peeled away from the bunker. He stood there for a moment as the dust settled back into the gravel. Then he smiled and breathed in morning air as he raised his arms. "Today, I have a brother and a mother- all at the same time! Best day ever!"

The End