Faith in Family
Chapter One: Safe in a Brother's Arms
Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural.
Word Count for Chapter: 4800- It was exactly that it made me very happy (I am a bit strange)
Summary: Dean was furious at Sam after the events in the 'Dark Side of the Moon' but Castiel uses Sam's real favourite memories and his worse to restore Dean's faith in his brother.
Warnings: There is swearing in this fic, so be warned. But it is Dean Winchester so don't be so surprised.
John is not seen in a positive light in this fic, so if you are fan, I would advise you not to read this. I hope you enjoy this story and will be back for the next chapter. This fanfiction is completed, and a chapter will be posted every Thursday at a non-specified time and they will be five chapters.
If you like or dislike this fic please tell me your views and constructive criticism is welcomed and any corrections that may be needed. Please don't flame me, if you really have to. Rant at your screen at your leisure.
On we go…
He stomped through the forest which was opposite the crappy motel they had stopped at for the night, breaking underfoot fallen branches as he went, he had no idea how long he had been walking for, Sam probably hadn't even noticed that he had gone, he thought bitterly.
Dean had realised that Sam always wanted a normal life with a wife, some rugrats, a white picket fence, the whole nine yards but he thought when Sam finally figured out what he truly wanted, and he would be involved again. Well, that was what he used to want, he had no idea now. It seems at the moment that his baby brother, who had practically brought up, didn't even care if he was in his life or not, it was more like he just wanted to get rid of him. It was like they were together for convenience.
During his rapid walk around the woods, Castiel appeared in front of him thankfully he had enough awareness not to appear front of him or he probably would of felt like he walked into a brick wall, he immediately brought out his gun before he realised who it was.
"Damn it, Cas!" Dean muttered, bringing his gun down in a less defensive position, "Do you want me to freakin' shoot you?"
He heard the fallen angel mumble something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like 'No, I can't be bothered to find a new overcoat.' If Dean wasn't in such a miserable mood he would have grinned at Castiel's antics.
"Why are you here Cas?" Dean sighed; Castiel had a hidden talent which was whenever he appeared he seemed to make the situation they where in vastly more complicated than it seemed to be before.
"I need to show you something, it seems that my brothers haven't been honest with you neither has yours," Castiel informed him, gruffly.
"I don't think Sam has ever been honest with me," Dean laughed, it was without humour and sounding resentful.
"That is the reason why I am here," Castiel told him, fishing around for something in his pockets and pulling out a dog-eared blue notebook which looked like it had pages falling out and was covered in fluffy white clouds and Dean knew exactly what it was.
It was his little brother's diary, one that Sam had kept from he was about ten he hadn't seen since Sam went to Stanford even as eighteen year old he had wrote in it and Dean the awesome big brother he was and teased him mercilessly about it.
"Where did you get that?" Dean snapped, even as the biggest bastard he could possibly be, he had always respected Sam's right for privacy so he never even considered even touching it.
"I salvaged it," Castiel replied, "I had to repair the book into its original form before the fire."
"You didn't go back into the past, did you?" Dean asked sharply, remembering the fallen angel's reaction last time they had tried that.
"No," Castiel said hastily, seeing the ferocious protective instinct flare up in Dean's eyes, "Someone owes me a favour."
Before Dean had a chance to grill about who owes Castiel a favour he placed his index finger on Dean's forehead and they went spinning off into oblivion and spat out again.
The hunter hated the feeling of being transported with any angel especially is it's unexpected, it feels like your stomach completely flips over and it disorientates you so you don't know where you are or what is happening. After the fogginess was over, he saw where he was, in an apartment which was vaguely familiar; it had ghastly wallpaper which consisted of a deep grey background and a garish pattern on top which was deep dark green colour. Dean guessed the apartment's carpet was once cream but now was dingy grey colour and had big black spots staining it, there was a bright red sofa which clashed with everything in the room which was pointing face forwards to old TV set. What was the most peculiar thing in the entire room which included a painting which looked like it was a motorcycle that had crashed into a tree was that a younger version of him and his father looked like they where on pause in a film like they were talking animatedly about something. He looked around about fourteen and had an extreme annoyed look on his face but he looked behind him and saw a ten year old Sammy with his little chubby cheeked head peering around the door with a hopeful expression.
"Cas, why did you take me here?" Dean asked the angel who was looking around the room curiously like he had been a few moments ago, he would of sworn that Castiel's face lit up when he saw a younger and much smaller version of Sam.
"We are going through some of Sam's best and worst memories," Castiel said, in way which was slightly stern like he didn't want Dean to over react.
"I have already seen his best," Dean reminded him, "Why would I want to see them again? I think I already know his worst!"
"No, you haven't, not his true ones anyway and not the real reason why they were his best either," Castiel said, not really paying much attention to Dean as his eyes where fixed on Sam's diary.
Dean knew that he probably would have to get this done and over with or Castiel would be happy to rot with him for all eternity probably not even noticing that much time had gone past so he sighed, "Hit me."
This got Castiel attention as he gave Dean a confused look which included the infamous head tilt and asked, "Why would I hit you?"
"Just play the damn memory and for god's sake don't hit me," Dean ordered, wondering how a creature like Castiel could even exist.
Again, the angel fished through his pockets until he found a small black remote like the ones that comes with a CD player.
"Why do you have a remote?" Dean asked, exasperated.
"How else am I going to play the memory? It is what humans do right? I have seen you use it with the Television set," Castiel told him.
"Fine, whatever," Dean sighed, and watched Castiel pressed the button.
"Dad, he'll get more exercise if you let him join the team, he can do that as well as running!" Dean said like he had enough and was waving his arms about madly, "You keep complaining that he never gets any exercise!"
Dean now remembered this in full force and smiled, he made sure that the apartment had gone far from his mind mostly because it stank and you could hear rats scuttling everywhere but this was one of the times where Sam actually saw how he used to stand up to Dad for him.
"Well, I have decided that it's time to start training him so he's more prepared, so he can help us the war against the supernatural," John barked, his fist banging against the table which made it groan in protest.
Dean winced, he knew his baby brother was watching and even though Sam now knew about all the supernatural beings out there, he still didn't want him to be involved.
While his father said this, he slammed his fist against the table; Sammy whimpered which nearly made Dean turn around and attempt to pull him up in his arms but Castiel guessing his next move grabbed the hunter's arm painfully forcing him to watch his and his father's interaction.
"Sammy is not old enough!" Dean protested, all respect forgotten, "Why do you all keep telling me to protect him but you want to force into some twisted type of your personal hell which gets both me and Sam into danger! Do you know what you are? You're selfish!"
Dean was speechless, he never remembered saying such horrible things to his father normally Sam would be the one who would have said things like that but he knew his own expressions and the one that adorned his face was panic, he wanted to keep his brother's innocence as long as he possibly could. At that age, it was one of the most important things to him
John seemed to be having a similar reaction to what the older Dean was having, his son had never said anything like that before, but the thing was it wasn't full of resentment or had been building up throughout the years from bitterness, it was that both Dean and his Dad had programmed into Dean since forever that his main job was to protect Sammy and when he thought something was threatening to him that he should go against and forget all the consequences.
"What did you just say to me, boy?" John stood up, growling.
Dean felt his courage disappearing, as the full height of his father was intimidating and made him feel small and helpless, he turned his head towards Sammy and suddenly he felt brave, Dean was the one who always knew what was best for his baby brother and if Sammy wanted to play soccer he was going to play soccer and there was no way in hell he was going to start training. He could fight well enough to protect the both of them.
Castiel paused the scene, and pulled out Sam's diary, he flipped through a few pages of the book and opened it on the page that was only a few pages away from the front and began to read, "At that moment when Dean looked at me, at first he looked scared, you couldn't really blame though Dad is really scary when he wants to be but when he turned away, the look on his face changed, they was determination. In that moment I realised maybe he needed me as much as I needed him."
"It does not say that!" Dean protested, snatching the book out of the fallen angel's hand.
Dean skimmed through the page to see where Castiel had quoted from, he found it and when he saw that it was in his brother's tidy ten year old handwriting, he laughed and said, "What a girl! I knew he needed bloody chick flick moments somewhere so he wrote them!"
"Are you going to take this seriously?" Castiel asked, annoyed his blue eyes flashing, "I had to pull in a pretty big favour for this to happen!"
"Fine, Cas, you don't have to go all nerd angel bitchy on me," Dean told him, grinning.
He had no idea how a younger Sammy writing something like that could make him feel happier than he had been in months, he knew this was Sam's hero-worship stage so it didn't really mean anything but it made him feel wanted and appreciated. Castiel faked a sigh at the abuse but he would rather Dean taking the mick out of him instead having reckless romps around the woods and most of this Dean needed to know about his family and it was now time for them to be known. He pulled out the remote and pressed play there was more that was needed to be seen on that day.
"I called you selfish, Dad, Sam needs to have a social life so he won't become as twisted as you. Even if you say no, his still going, he needs this and frankly all that book reading is worrying me, I do not want my brother to become a geek extraordinaire!" Dean stood as well, to show his father that he wasn't scared and also he wasn't going to win this one.
The now much older hunter had to chuckled even when he was a young teenager and felt pressured and threatened he was still worried about his geekish tendencies.
"You listen to me, boy!" John grounded out, now standing right in his personal space and looking down at him, "Sam will start his training and there is nothing you can do to stop it!"
"That is what you think, Dad, I would guess again. Sammy is going to play soccer and he's not going to train. You can turn me into a soldier but Sam will never be one. " Dean smirked, and sauntered off before his father could actually do something that would make him regret his smart words.
They was scuttling behind his and Sam's bedroom, he pushed it open from the crack and slammed the door closed. John slumped down at the table and sighed, opened a draw which was on the table and pulled out a bottle of whisky and took a swig.
Castiel pulled Dean straight through a wall which felt like Castiel was pulling him through air, it was paused again, it was young Dean having a look of anger marked upon his face, and Sammy looking quite worried, the bedroom was small and crowded, there was only two beds and creaky table which held an ancient lamp on top of it which flashed repeatedly, Dean's side was a complete state however Sammy's side was neat and tidy.
"Play it already!" As Castiel was annoyingly taking it all in like he was cataloguing everything in the room, and Dean wanted to know what happened next.
Sammy rushed towards his older brother and gripped him tight, Dean gave a moan of feigned annoyance but was grinning into Sam's shoulder, and the smile was sweet like the one when you don't expect to be hugged but it secretly makes your day.
"Thank-you," Sammy murmured, Dean just pulled him tighter into his arms, hoping that he never had to let him go.
"That was when I knew Dean would always have my back forever, normally it would only be against ghosts or creatures but defend to me against Dad, now I know my big brother would always be there to protect me not just because Dad had told him to, it was because he wanted to, I hope he knows it's the same for me to." Castiel quoted, holding the blue book tightly in his hands with a small version of a smile.
"And that was one of his best memories? God, that kid's screwed up in the head," Dean muttered, shaking his head.
"Haven't you been paying attention?" Castiel questioned, intensely, "Sam knows that you would always have his back and this was the first time he fully got to appreciate it, this is why this memory is important to Sam!" In a tone that clearly suggested that Dean was an idiot.
"Maybe it's just because he is happy to be in my awesome presence," Dean smirked, cockily.
"If this was the case wouldn't one of his happiest memories would have been the first memory of you that he could remember?" Castiel asked, looking seriously confused.
"Oh shut up," Dean mumbled in defence which was poor but he was up against a fallen angel who couldn't tell you the difference between Harry Potter and Winnie the Pooh so it might work was Dean's flawed logic.
Castiel pressed a button on the remote and now they where in a motel room, pretty standard like they where used to but a thirteen year old Sammy was frozen but obviously crying and his seventeen year old self was standing at the door way. Dean could remember this one well and quite fond of this memory himself. The figures had now started to move.
Dean looked at Sam, worried he rushed over to him; he hadn't seen his little brother sobbing like this in years, and it was like a dagger to his heart to see him like this, crying his heart out clutching a pillow, not even noticing his brother was there let alone the worried stares that he had been giving him.
"Sammy," he said, placing himself right next to Sam, wrapping a protective arm around the shaking body which Sam immediately snuggled into, "What's wrong?"
"I-It's e-embr-brassing, you'll j-just l-au-ugh at m-me," Sam choked out, wiping the tears away from his face.
"I won't laugh, come on Sammy, you can tell me anything," Dean tried, squeezing his shoulder when Sammy shook his head in a firm 'no', he decided to tease him, "I know what it is! Oh, Sammy how you dare get such an appalling mark on your biology exam, it's shocking!"
"I-I g-got an A*!" Sam growled, defending himself, tears still tracking his face and sobs still shaking his body.
"Exactly!" Dean boomed, and then his tone turned to falsely stern which sounded like his last Maths teacher "Absolutely disgusting mark, you should be ashamed of yourself!"
"You're just jealous!" Sam was now distracted which made Dean's plan work, he knew his kid brother too well, "You could never a get a mark as good as that!"
"I happy with my straight c minuses, thanks, there is only room for one academic genius in this family," Dean informed him, completely serious, ruffling his hair.
"Why am I only an academic genius? Haven't you realised I am genius in everything else as well?" Sam smirked, cockily.
Dean smiled at him, recognising that look all too well and that tone of voice, it was one he himself used when he was making a particularly arrogant comment, so he did the same which put Sammy's copycatting to shame, "No, I am the genius in everything that matters! Now, brother of mine, are you going to tell me what's wrong or am I going to have to tickle it out of you?" He racked his fingers along with ribs as proof that he was planning to follow through with his threat which made Sam giggle which was high-pitched and childish.
It was also music to present Dean's ears; it had been years since he heard Sam make a noise which was just full of joy, it made him smile, he had forgotten how ticklish his younger brother actually was, he had to wonder if he would receive the same action or just a bitch face, Dean guessed it would be the bitch face but Dean had to admit it was worth a try mostly to see which particular bitch face he would get.
"You'll just think it's stupid," Sam protested, trying and failing to wiggle out Dean's firm grip as he had somehow managed to get a seat in Dean's lap with big strong arms wrapped around him, it also didn't help that he was smaller than an average thirteen year old more like a body of an eleven year old.
Dean made the sound of when a cross came up on 'Family Fortunes' and started to tickle Sam mercilessly as until Sam started to scream and wither in laughter, "Stop! Stop! I'll tell you! Stop this needless torture!"
Stopping 'the needless torture', Dean forced Sam back into his lap and wrapped his arms around him like before.
Dean had to admit both of them looked pretty adorable, his younger self hugging Sammy into his chest while Sam looking annoyed but saw the tinge of happiness of getting his older brother's attention with his head resting against just under his head. He wondered if he could try this as well with Sam but the Sasquatch would probably make him look like he was non-existent and then death from suffocation would follow.
"Can you pause it for a second?" Dean found himself asking.
"Sure," Castiel pressed the pause button.
Dean fumbled with his phone to get it out of his pocket; he pulled it out and asked mumbling Castiel, "Do you think I could take a picture?"
The hunter felt slightly embarrassed, he wasn't normally this sentimental but seeing him and his brother like that it was something he wanted remember forever, it was a time where they could be young and Dean could actually take care of his younger brother even though they still had all the monsters and the ghosts but they where freer and happier and they only had unserious arguments that didn't matter like if Sam had stolen a shirt of his or if he had hidden Sammy's homework which he had spent hours on.
"I think so, you might get a picture of a tree," Castiel replied, gruffly.
Dean nodded; he pressed the buttons on his phone to get the nearly unused camera phone, they where some he took when Sam was sleeping in funny positions so he could tease him mercilessly but that was awhile ago now. Ever since their relationship had gone down hill, Dean had stopped going out of his way to annoy his baby brother. That would have to start up again, Dean decided, a 'starter' of the apocalypse or not, an older brother always has to piss of his younger brother especially if it was a bitch of a brother like Sam. It was the natural order of things. Maybe after he told Sam what had happened, he could tease Sam for being wrapped in his arms like a baby, so took the picture. Castiel couldn't have paused the scene at a better time, Sammy was wrapped up in his arm looking content but his still slightly chubby cheeks had been reddened by tickling and his head was rested against his brother's neck, Dean was looking down at him with a small smile on his face.
Castiel looked at Dean for confirmation for him to start playing the memory again when Dean nodded so he pressed the button again.
"So, Sam what's going through that noggin' of yours?" Dean asked, holding him tighter his lips in Sam's hair, looking like he was resisting the urge to kiss the boy's head.
"It's stupid!" Sam announced his tone miserable any trace of laughter had been forgotten, "You'll just laugh at me!"
"I believe, Sammy boy, you've already said that," Dean smirked, and then this tone turned falsely dark and threatening, his hands sliding up Sammy's ribs in warning "Or do I have to tickle you, again?"
"You are such a jerk!" Sam announced, pushing against his chest, "I am not a baby anymore let me go!"
"I think 'baby brother' has the word 'baby' somewhere, baby brother," Dean using his arms to make Sam even more closer to him, "So, I guess you are going to have to suck it up, bitch!"
"I am thirteen, Dean!" Sam protested, lightly, but subconsciously snuggled closer to his brother, he hadn't held him like this since he had hit double digits and even though he did feel like a baby, he felt safe and protected in his brother's arms.
"And you're trying to distract me," Dean accused, "Don't think you can outsmart me, if don't tell me in five seconds, I will have to tickle you again!"
"But Dean…" Sam was interrupted when Dean starting to count.
"One!"
"Dean, come on!" Sam started to struggle.
"Two!"
"This is ridiculous; I should have been the older brother!" Sam grumped, still trying to get free.
"Three!" Dean had started to slow down with his counting to fill Sam with anticipation which would hopefully drive him slightly crazy.
"You have the mentality of a six year old!" Sam said, pushing against his chest.
"Four!"
"Fine, I asked Susie McKean out and she called me a freak!" Sam burst out, miserably.
Dean understood why Sam was so upset; he always had thought that he was some kind of freak ever since his father had a frank conversation which pulled no punches about their mother and the unknown monster that killed her. Ever since he had learnt that their mother died in his nursery, he always felt like some kind of monster himself and the word he most commonly used was 'freak'. It also didn't help that Sam always had a hard time fitting in with children his own age, he had always gotten on with adults better or wouldn't leave Dean's side and most people even when they were younger were slightly intimidated by the older brother, he gave the impression if anyone one was the harm his baby brother there would be hell to pay. This had always made Sam feel different ever since he had started his school education, what also didn't help that before he had to go school, the only other child he had properly interacted with was Dean.
There was some pride flittering through the older Winchester of course a large amount disgust of a spoiled brat treating his brother like crap but Sammy who had showed no interest in girls before had asked one out and he actually had the balls to do it. He hadn't just thought about it and gave her puppy dog looks across the cafeteria he plucked up the courage to ask her.
"First of all, where do you get off fancying a chick and telling me about it?" Dean growled, sounding more annoyed than he actually was.
"Um, I thought you'd make fun of me," Sam admitted, biting his lip which made him look even cuter in Dean's eyes.
"Of course, I would have made fun of you; it is an older brother's prerogative to tease their younger brother about girls," he said, firmly, Sam sighed and put his head against Dean's neck which caused him to smile, "But it is also their job teach them how to deal with the ladies."
"You're so weird," Sam said, proud of his assessment, "But how do you make girls fall all over you?"
"Well when you look like me it is perfectly understandable," Dean smiled when Sam giggled, "But seriously that bitch doesn't deserve you, she doesn't see a good thing when she sees one and you don't need her, cos you got me, it is the Winchesters against the world always remember that."
"That still makes me a freak," Sam joked, smiling at him.
"Hey! The Winchesters are not freaks it's those normal people who are the freakish ones," Dean told him, he said 'normal' like it was the black plague and he moved his lips near Sam's ear and whispered, "You are not a freak."
"Dean is right, it will always be us against the world, I don't need anyone but him and Dad, they will always be there to protect me especially Dean, he would do anything for me as I would for him and if believes I am not a freak then it most be true Dean knows everything well sort of he can't do any math equations when I ask him for help but that doesn't matter I can know things like that he know everything else. Cos I don't need a girl, I just need my big brother, anyway Dean was right Susie is a bitch," Castiel quoted, after he had paused the memory.
"Cas, we are still in the hero worshipping days that don't mean anything!" he growled, seriously annoyed.
"It wouldn't," Castiel agreed, "However this is still one of Sam's happiest memories, surely that means something."
Dean wouldn't admit it but it did lots, he thought Sam hated those days when they where younger and constantly moving, being trained for an ever lasting war, he had thought that even the small moments like these didn't matter to him, he didn't think he cherished them. Hell, he thought Sam had forgotten all about them. Honest to god, he had thought he hated his childhood, every single bit of it including him.
"Do you get why I am showing you these memories?" Castiel asked touching his shoulder lightly like a touch would magically make the reason pop in his head.
"No." Dean said honestly, he didn't even know how the angel found him so he thought it would be best to ask.
"I followed you." Castiel stated, like it was perfectly normal and did it often.
"So, you're a stalker now." Dean stated, not really minding Castiel following him he had no real knowledge of boundaries so as long it was him or Sam and not some random person he got a sudden interest in it was okay.
"Only when it is needed," Castiel said, solemnly.
Dean shook his head and smiled, the fallen angel was enigma, he had always found it funny that all the other angels had some grasp on how humans lived but Castiel had no idea and he enjoyed spending time with him even with a ginormous stick up his arse but even when he knew he couldn't trust him before the apocalypse he had become his best friend and it was also refreshing to have someone other than Bobby and Sam to talk about things with and in his own nerdy angel way understood him so whatever Castiel was up to right now he had to trust him.
I hope you have enjoyed this chapter and the next will be up next Thursday. Please tell me what you think.