Bobby wasn't sure what to think. The incident with the milk, the horrific understanding about the panic room, hell… even the knowledge that the kid thought he was dead spoke volumes about the way this Sammy Winchester lived his life. Unfortunately that didn't help him at the moment as he tried to figure out what to do about it. It hadn't taken long after the little tyke fell asleep that Dean had filled him in on the little amount that he knew about what Ruby had done and why, but that little amount told him enough to know that whatever the demon had meant to do had backfired. Sighing, he leaned back in his chair and reached for the phone, surprised when the it began to ring even before his hand picked up the receiver.

"Yeah, Bobby here."

"Hello Bobby. I'm glad they made it safely to you. Can you keep them both safe until I can figure out how to reverse what Ruby did?"

"Lillian, I was just about to call you. I take it you can put everyone back to where they belong?" Bobby asked, feeling at least a tiny amount of apprehension leave him as he cradled the receiver on one shoulder and reached for a note pad with his other arm.

The sound of a heavy sigh traveled across the phone lines before the unexpected answer followed. "I don't know. What I did for Dean was straightforward, what Ruby did… well let's just say she wasn't the greatest of witches when she was alive and now…" the pause dragged out until Bobby thought maybe they had gotten disconnected. "now I have no idea if I can piece together exactly what she did. But Bobby, I can tell you this – there are echoes of what she did and that shouldn't happen. Something is wrong and I'm worried."

Forgetting the paper, Bobby almost dropped the phone. "Echoes? What type of echoes?" he asked as his attention was suddenly diverted to the younger man standing in front of him. Knowing that Dean heard part of the conversation, there was no point in hiding the rest of it. "Is something wrong with Sam? Isn't he supposed to be stuck in limbo like Dean had been?"

"That's the problem Bobby. From what I'm hearing, Lilith has figured out a way to pry her way into it. We need to get this reversed fast; otherwise we could lose both Sam and Sammy."

"Damn it!" Bobby bellowed before he turned to Dean. "We need to find Ruby – quick!"

Lillian took a deep breath, knowing that what she was doing was another step closer to taking sides than the neutrality she had promised to keep years ago. "Bobby, she is going to have to use a lot of power to do it – there will be signs everywhere, we'll know when she begins."

That thought didn't help Bobby's demeanor any, and the more he thought about it the more he was sure that this was going to be the catalyst to break this war wide open – one way, or another.

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Dean wasn't sure how it happened. Sure he was used to hunting demons, that was his job after all. He just couldn't remember a time that he was looking for a demon without actually wanting to kill it. "Damn it, our lives are too weird." He said softly while driving the Impala and trying hard not to think about his little brother being in danger and him sitting on his ass not able to do anything about it.

When Bobby told him about the conversation he had with Lillian, he had hoped it was some sort of demented joke. Who would have thought that Ruby could have screwed up so spectacularly. Sighing, he checked the time and knew he needed to get back to Bobby's so Sammy wouldn't worry about him. That thought struck him hard, especially knowing that his Sam always worried about him.

Making a U-turn, he sped down the road hoping that the answer would make an appearance soon because he had no idea what to do to help his brother wherever he was, and that really did sit wrong with him.

It didn't take long to get back to Bobby's place and even less time to smell the food that was being cooked inside. Upon entering he was even more shocked when he noticed a certain little boy wasn't present.

"Hey Bobby, where's Sammy?" he asked, wondering if maybe he just missed seeing the little guy.

Pausing in putting some of the vegetables into serving bowls, Bobby motioned upstairs. "He hasn't come down yet. Hurry up and get him so we can eat before this stuff cools off too much."

Nodding, Dean ignored the fact that it looked like Bobby had cooked enough for a small army, and instead made his way up the stairs to bring his son down to dinner. Sighing, he wasn't exactly sure if he would ever really get used to the idea of being a father, but right now he didn't have time to dwell on that little fact. Opening the door, he was surprised to see Sammy sitting quietly in the darkened room staring at nothing.

"Sammy? Hey buddy… you ok?" he asked all the while knowing that there was no way the little guy was ok if his pallor was anything to go by. "Sammy… hey little dude, come here." It didn't take long to walk across the room and pull the frightened child into his arms. "It's ok buddy, I'm here now… everything's ok."

"Daddy, I's staed here 'till you gots back… jus' like you says." Sammy said quietly before looking up at his daddy with wide, scared eyes.

It took a moment for Dean to understand the implication of what little Sammy said and once he understood that he could have kicked himself for being ten times the fool. "Aw Sammy, I didn't mean that you couldn't come downstairs when you woke up. I'm so sorry little guy, forgive me?"

Nodding, Sammy hugged his Daddy and allowed himself to be picked up and carried down the stairs. It wasn't until they turned into the kitchen where a whole table full of food was laid out that he tensed again and sucked in a breath of air so quickly he almost choked on it.

"Hey there buddy, how about you sit down right there and we'll get down to business of eating this food, ok?" Bobby said jovially as he prepared a plate for Sammy and placed it in front of a chair with a stack of books already in place to help the youngest Winchester sit at the table. Seeing the tears well up in the little boy's face, Bobby couldn't help but feel concern build up within him. "Sammy, what's wrong boy?"

"Bbbbut…whats we goin' to eat tomowwow?" Sammy cried out, clearly upset about what he was seeing.

Dean tensed up slightly when he heard the answer, and felt yet again one more piece slide into place giving him a better glimpse of what life was like where this Sammy was growing up. "Sammy, hey buddy, look at me. We have plenty of food here, ok? That's why Bobby cooked it, so we could enjoy it." Dean quietly said patiently as he rubbed the little boy's back. "I bet there's even some milk with your name on it, isn't that right Bobby?"

"Nuh uh… we's suppos' to share Daddy… not evwy one get milk." Sammy said, shocked by the suggestion that there was milk just for him.

"Sammy, here you can have all the milk you want, ok? Right here and right now there's plenty of milk and food – if you're hungry, you eat, ok?" Dean asked as he tried to convey this one important message to the little boy in his arms. "You have to eat, you're too skinny." He said as he tickled Sammy until finally there was a tiny giggle.

The rest of dinner was a quiet affair, with both Bobby and Dean putting together a scenario that neither one liked. Obviously Ruby wasn't joking when she had said that the human population wasn't faring well, but to think that there was a food shortage made them both cringe at the implications.

Dean thought about how Sammy had only eaten off his daddy's plate and it suddenly made some sort of sick sense. If food was scarce, then even a diner would only have so much to give out each day, if that often. Sighing, he couldn't help but wonder how his other persona was dealing with it all. Finally he decided they needed some answers and there was only one person who could tell them. He waited until the leftovers were placed in the refrigerator and everyone had settled into the living room.

"Hey Sammy, I was hoping you could tell us about yourself. You know, about your mommy and daddy and what you see when you go outside." Dean began, noticing Sammy's puzzled look, but decided to head the questions off before they even began. "Let's call it a game. You tell me what you know and I can tell how observant you've been, ok?" he asked, ignoring the disapproving glare coming from Bobby.

"The 'pala's not as shiny an' the inside is tore up but we seeps there sometimes when you's tinks it ok. The demons don' like us and we's gots to keep moving lots an' lots. Uncle Bobby died when he didn' tell 'em where we's was… I's miss you Uncle Bobby. You's sad 'cause of Uncle Sammy, but you's don' say so… sometimes I's hears you talkin' to him but he's not there." Sammy sighed before he looked at both men. "I's don' has a mommy, jus' likes you's Daddy."

The stunned silence lingered throughout the room before Bobby had to ask his own question. "Hey Sammy, why isn't there enough food?"

" 'Cause Liwith make sure that the demons do their jobs. On'y people who does wha' she want get more."

Taking a deep breath, Dean wanted to run out and take care of Lilith once and for all. It was bad enough that she was tormenting them in this universe, but to take it out on others in some other weird sort of alternate reality was almost too much for him to take. One way or another, she needed to die – the only problem was how?

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The person who watched as nightfall descended upon the house knew neither warmth nor cold, his only concern was what lay inside. His orders were to observe only, but the need to know more of what was going on inside was tempting enough to put those orders to the side. He would have gladly disregarded those orders except for the knowledge of what would happen to him if he disobeyed. So for now, he continued to watch… and wait.