The next morning before the sun rose Sam was awoke with a start, shooting up in bed, his breathing erratic, sweat pasting his hair to his forehead, ripped from sleep by another nightmare.
"Sammy?" Dean mumbled voice thick with sleep.
Sam took a deep breath and tried to calm himself, "M fine Dean, go back to sleep." Dean obliged rolling over so he was lying on his stomach sandwiching his head in between his pillows, with Sam at arm's length, his breathing evened out and he soon fell back asleep. Once Sam was sure Dean was once again in his dreamland of scantily clad women he slid out of bed careful not to wake his older brother and shuffled into the hall. He decided to hold up in Pastor Jim's library and study, no one would be up for another hour at least so Sam had some solitude to get lost in his notes. About midway through his chemistry notes he heard someone banging around the kitchen and Sam decided to go and find out what was going on.
Pastor Jim stood in front of the old stove, spatula in hand holding a mixing bowl in the other the luscious smells of pancakes, bacon, and coffee made Sam's stomach growl. "I sure could use some help setting the table Samuel, before everyone joins us?"
"Of course," Sam gave the pastor an easy smile as he pulled down some plates he then took the silverware the Pastor handed him and began placing them around the table.
"I hope you slept well Samuel, I saw you in the study, but you seemed to be quiet focused so I let you be."
"Yeah chemistry has been a real bitc- I mean it's been hard, Dean's pretty good at the math tough so…"
A fond smile crossed Jim's face as he remembered a time when Sam and John weren't at each other's throats "Dean was always good at numbers. And how are you doing with Latin, I hope the time spent on chemistry hasn't taken away from that."
Sam scoffed, "Ha, like dad would let me slip in that area." The venom in his tone couldn't go unnoticed.
"It's a little early to be pissing and moaning already don't you think Sam?" asked a gruff and familiar voice Jim saw the teen tense when he heard his father's voice. Gearing up for a fight at seven am was not the best way to start a day. Sam's jaw clenched as he thought of an equally biting remark.
Jim decided to intervene, "Can I get you some coffee John?" in reply John gave a curt nod still leveling his youngest with a glare. So Jim tried to redirect the flow of conversation. "Sam why don't you go wake up the boys breakfast is almost ready." He suggested as he handed John his coffee for a moment the tension was so thick between father and son that Jim was almost afraid that it would come to blows. "Samuel." Urged that pastor as the stare down continued finally after what seemed like hours Sam broke the gaze and made his way upstairs Jim and his father's eyes on his back as he went. "John-"
The pastors thought was cut short by a defensive "Don't Jim… just don't" as the other man took his seat at the table and a swig of coffee.
When Sam got upstairs he found the guest room he and Dean were staying in empty so he made his way down the hall where he found Caleb leaning against the wall across from the bathroom looking sleepy and disheveled. "DUCE, I swear you need to finish up jerking off 'cause I gotta piss," growled the other hunter running his hand over his head, before banging on the door, "Hey runt, ya fellin' better?" Caleb asked Sam but instead of waiting for an answer the door received another wave of abuse, "DEAN!"
A cocky chuckle could be heard through the bathroom door as the shower turned off, "Damien you can't rush perfection."
Caleb got a dangerous look in his eye at being taunted, "Duce if you aren't out here in one minute I will piss in your boots." All the noise coming from the bathroom stopped.
"You wouldn't" hissed Dean
To which Caleb replied, "Oh, I would" with as much menace in his voice that he could muster. "One, two, three…" Dean burst out of the bathroom like he had a hell hound on his tail.
"Don't touch my boots!" he roared, clad in only a towel, in the time it took Dean to exit Caleb had charged in and went about his business with the door wide open as Dean made his way back to their room. "Morning Princess," he muttered to his little brother ruffling the younger boy's hair. "You were up early did you have another nightmare?" questioned the older brother searching Sam's face for admission that Sam would never give. He did give a non-committal shrug.
"Boys get your asses in gear, breakfast is ready." ordered John, his stern voice carrying upstairs, Sam's shoulders going rigid when he heard his father's voice.
Dean shoved his brother toward the door "Go Sammy, I'll be down in a few minutes." Sam grimaced "I won't be that bad Pastor Jim's pancakes make everything better, now go I need to get dressed… SAM go." said Dean forcefully when his brother made no move to go down to the kitchen. Sam trudged down stairs and took a seat at the table next to Caleb.
"Where's your brother?" John growled
"Right here." called Dean as he barreled down the stairs pulling his shirt on over his head. "Smells great Jim." He smiled getting himself a cup of coffee before sitting next to Sam.
Everyone began passing around the main dishes taking as much as they wanted when the phone rang Jim answered it, taking the cordless phone into the next room. Aside from Dean and Caleb's typical childish banter breakfast was eaten in relative silence before albeit a tense silence, but at least there was no yelling or bloodshed.
Jim returned a few minutes later with a grim look on his face, "We have a problem."
