Chapter 2

Sam Winchester was in full pout mode as he cleaned up the kitchen from the frozen pizza supper he shared with his father. Not so much as a word had been spoken during their meal. Cupboards were being slammed, cups and flatware being violently tossed in the sink. John had intended to let his son just ride out this tantrum when Sam slapped the dishrag on the table so hard it sprayed water on his paperwork.

"Samuel Winchester!" John roared.

"Sorry." Sam clipped out in a tone that indicated he was anything but.

"Young man, do you mind sharing with me what bug crawled up your butt this time?" John took a deep breath and tried to rein in his temper. He and Sam had been getting along so much better these past few weeks he really didn't want to lose his cool.

"Why? You don't listen, you never listen!" Sam snapped.

John had nearly enough of this fight. It was the same argument they had been having since Dean left. "You're right Sam. I'm not going to listen to anymore about this. We had this discussion. You are not getting your way and you are behaving like a child having a tantrum right now."

"Am not!" Sam snarked back, but even to himself he sounded like a whiny brat. He let out a huff of air and plopped himself down in one of the worn out kitchenette chairs. Things had been going so well over the last few weeks. His dad had been around more, they hadn't been fighting nearly as much. He had some friends at school. He was on the junior varsity track team. He thought maybe things were looking up. "Hummmff." Sam let out a puff of air, as usual, he had been wrong.

John couldn't help but smile to himself as he caught a glimpse of the stubborn toddler his younger son had been. He was working the pouty lip and puffing out sighs, begging for attention and then complaining when you gave it to him. John couldn't see his eyes, that darn shaggy brown hair needed a cut, but he was certain if he could see those dark hazel orbs there quite possibly were daggers shooting at him.

Now it was John's turn to sign. Earlier in the day he overheard a conversation between his sons. Sammy was planning on going to the movies with his friends over the weekend and Dean was reluctantly agreeing to be the driver. When Dean had asked permission to use the car it was obvious to John that he really didn't want to chauffer his little brother around on a Saturday night. The only answer he could get out of Dean was that he and Sammy made a deal and he was keeping his end of the bargain. Later on, when Sam was needling his older brother about a math assignment, John put his reasoning skills to use and decided that their deal had been about Sammy helping Dean with his homework. John had been angry and when Dean left for his party he had told Sammy that he was disappointed in him for bribing Dean to help with homework. He told Sammy he was grounded for the weekend. After that he had been on the receiving end of Sam Winchester's finest hissy fit.

"Honestly Sam, I'm not going to stand for much more of this. Are you looking for some extra training too?"

"No!" Sam crossed his arms across his chest and fought back his urge to cry. He was twelve years old after all, twelve year olds did not cry because their dad hurt their feelings.

"Sam?" John said, a little more compassion in his voice this time. Sam's slight lip quiver was not lost on him.

Sam wiped his hand across his nose and finally in a quiet voice said "Do you really think Dean would have to bribe me to help him with his homework?" Sam couldn't believe his father thought that little of him. It hurt him more than he thought possible.

"Well, why don't you tell me what the deal was then?"

"Because you're just going to get mad." Sam said quietly.

"I've already gotten mad Sam."

Sam looked at his father and blurted out "Dean promised to take me and my friends out once a month if I promised to train without complaining and not argue with you." Sam looked up defiantly at his father with a "so there" look.

John went over Sam's words in his mind. He was stung. Instead of being bribed to help his brother with homework his baby boy had to be bribed to tolerate his own father….him! All this while John had thought he was making progress in his relationship with his son. John abruptly got up from the table and grabbed his jacket. Out of habit he reached for the car keys which normally were kept in a bowl on the table. He froze with his hand in mid air, remembering Dean had borrowed the car.

Sam looked to his father, the momentary look of defiance gone. John looked to his son, all the anger falling away. Instead of the anger Sam was expecting John chuckled and sat back down. "Sammy, you know what we are?"

"What?"

"Too much alike for our own good." John scrubbed his hand over his stubble covered face. "I was mad at you for pouting and here I am, ready to take off and have a good ol' pout of my own." He chuckled. "You know what my old man used to say?"

Sammy relaxed and was amazed that his dad was mentioning family, his dad never talked about family. "No dad, what?"

"My old man used to say – no one can piss you off like family!" With that he and Sammy both laughed. "We are going to fight Sammy, it's part of you growing up and me letting go. But I think we were both falling into a bad habit, always thinking we are right and the other is wrong. I've tried to teach you to look at all sides of a problem in hunting, in life, and here I am never giving you the benefit of the doubt. What do you think about you and I making our own deal? I promise to listen a little better, if you promise to do the same? We'll take one day at a time."

"I think that's a deal I can handle. Thanks dad." Sam got up and wiped the wet mess up he had made on the table. He affectionately knocked into his dad's shoulder as he passed to the sink. "Hey dad?"

"Yeah Sammy?"

"Am I still grounded?"

"No, you got me on that one Sam. I overreacted. But I would appreciate it if you would let your brother off the hook. If he doesn't want to take you on Saturday, I promise I'll drive you if I'm home. How about we see if we can find a baseball game to watch for a while and leave the kitchen and the research go until later?"

"Who are you and what have you done with my father?" Sam laughed as father and son headed in to watch some television. "Do you think Dean is having a good time at his party?"