Chapter 2- You have to be very careful what you wish for...

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, just love 'em. Wish ta hell I worked for Kripke.

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It was goin on six hours since he'd cast the spell. Dean hadn't so much as stirred since Sam had put the cool face cloth over his eyes; even the thumb hadn't slipped from its soft hold between Dean's lips. Sam had tried to sit and watch the crappy TV for a while but his eyes kept drifting over to the sleeping form of his brother. Finally Sam got up and moved toward the bathroom and of course as soon as the door closed behind him Dean began to stir.

Dean yawned and pulled the cloth covering his eyes off, then blinked and looked around the room. He scrunched up on his knees, butt in the air and backed down off the side of the bed but his feet hit the floor quicker than he expected. In fact his feet were on the floor while his chest was still on the bed. How could that be? He wondered. Then he tried to stand up. And it seemed to him that he kept going up and up and Up! He looked around and everything seemed so small. The chairs, the table and then slowly he looked up over his head and saw how close he was to the ceiling. I got big! A mischievous grin spread across his face. Reaching up with his hand he jumped at the same time. Touched! I touched the top of the room!!!

Sam heard the heavy thud of his brother's feet on the floor and quickly came out of the bathroom. His worried eyes were greeted by a smiling triumphant Dean who reached up and bounced to touch the ceiling again. "Lookit me Sammy I got big!" Dean grinned at him.

Sam had never seen his big brother so proud and happy at such a little thing before. He stood and watched in wonder at Dean giggle as he did it again, this time putting his full flat palm up on the ceiling. "Hahahahahheheeh!" Dean stopped and beamed back at Sam, "I growed up!"

"Yes, you did." Sam smiled back. "Looks like you feel better too."

"Yup" agreed Dean as he took step forward but found the room spin and he started to sway. Sam quickly moved to his side to steady him.

"Whoa there big guy, you feeling a little dizzy now?"

Dean stood still a moment then said, "I can't walk good. M'legs are too long." Adding with a serious expression and a nod, "cause I'm a giant."

Sam was struggling not to laugh but Dean was being so...so...cute!? And that was plenty surreal in itself coz "cute" was not a word Dean Winchester tolerated with in ear shot if referred to him by any MAN... and damn few women Hansom yes, cute NO. Sam shook his head to keep the smirk under control saying, "Yep, you're a big boy alright."

And Dean's hazel green eyes sparkled as he grinned back at him.

Sam got a thoughtful look upon his face, maybe if he see's himself...it might...well it's worth a shot, and he took Dean by the hand and asked, "Do you want to see how big you've grown?"

"Yeah!" enthused his brother.

"Well, com'er then," said Sam and lead Dean into the bathroom to look in the motel's big bathroom mirror.

Even as they walked through the door Dean's eyes went wide when he saw a stranger in the mirror holding on to Sammy's hand. They stopped in front of the mirror and Dean looked up at Sam, then slowly reached up and touched his face and quickly looked back at the mirror and saw that the stranger was doing the same thing. As Dean stood there looking at the grown man standing beside Sam the expressions of wonder, fear, and amazement crossed back and forth his continence. Then he let go of Sammy's hand and looking at the man in the mirror touched the stubble on his cheek. He brushed his fingertips across his lips and they started to tremble. 'Worry' now evident in the reflection. He looked up to Sam and said; "Mommy and daddy won't know me now." And a fat tear leaked down one cheek.

Startled by the reaction Sam was quick to sooth. "Oh, now don't... it's ok... they'd never...They'd know you anywhere. You know that huh?"

"But...but...I don't look like me!" Dean began to sniff.

Sam's fingers fumbled at his shoulders then he pulled Dean into a hug, "You know everyone who knows you.... knows you look like this. And every one who knows you loves you, alright?" Loves you very, very much. OK?"

Dean let himself be pulled into a hug and buryed his face into Sam's shirt crying softly and stealing glances at the now very sad man Sam was holding.

Sam stood feeling helpless holding Dean. He gently rubbed his back in circles and spoke soft words of comfort. But it just about killed him to see the pain and confusion his brother was in. A few slow moments went by and the tears slowed. Holding Dean close Sam reached for a pull of T-tissue, wadded it up and tilting Dean's head back began to wipe away the moisture.

"There, all dry." And Dean buried his face against Sam again. Sam ran his hand across the top of his brother's spiky locks, then in a spur of the moment thing bent down and kissed the top of his head. "You ok?"

Dean shook his head sadly and looked forlornly up at him, his lips pouted, "No."

Sam's heart melted. "What?...Whatizit?"

"I gotta pee." Dean pouted back.

Sam straightened up, "Oh,...ok...do you know...uh..you know...know how? I mean big boy style?" Please God say YES, Please God say YES.

"Uh huh, daddy taught me." Dean was staring at the toilet like it just might bite him.

Remembering how unsteady Dean had been on his legs Sam suddenly realized the level of coordination might be too much for him at this point and this could become a urinal disaster.

So lips pressed together in a fine line Sam steeled himself for the first 'bathroom' lesson. "OK, but just for now why don't I help get your... pants...get you ready... ok?" And Sam popped the button and pulled down the zipper. "You pull down your pants and shoot for the water ok?" Sam explained quickly. Dean looked back at him like he was crazy but promised he'd 'go' that way. Then he pushed Sam gently toward the door saying, "Gooooo."

Sam closed the bathroom door behind himself and prayed that Dean's aim'd be true. When he heard the wail from the other side. Sam pressed his face to the door, " Dean, Dean you alright?"

"MY PEE-er is...is... I got fur!!!!"

Sam put his hands over his face and scrubbed them down it's length. This was soooo not going well.

"It's alright Dean..." Sam said to the door, "all uh...big boys have that. You're ok, it's perfectly normal."

There was a moment of silence then Dean asked, "Sammy?"

"Yeah, Dean?"

"Whyzit.... soooo big!?" said the amazed voice on the other side of the door.

Shheesh Dean way to rub it in. "That's coz you're all grown up, Dean," sighed Sam.

"And coz I'm a giant! Huh?" Sam could hear the smile in his brother's voice even through the door. And he smiled wearily back, "Yes, coz you're a giant."

A couple minutes later Dean yelled, "All done." And Sam carefully opened up the door. Dean was standing with his back to him at the sink washing his hands. His briefs were back in place but his jeans were pooled around his ankles.

Sam handed his brother a towel to dry his hands while he hitched up and fastened the pants.

Dean padded his hands dry, put the towel on the sink then just stood there looking in the mirror making faces at himself as Sam zipped him up.

When Sam stood up beside him Dean was still making funny faces so he joined him and made a few himself. One look and Dean exploded into laughter. And it was like no other laughter Sam'd ever heard his bother make. It was spontaneous and easy and so full of joy. Sam couldn't help but grin and stare at this fresh 'clean' version of Dean he'd never seen before.

Dean gave him a quizzical look and asked. "Do giants really eat Englishmen?"

"What? No, just about anything they want but not people...usually. Sam smirked. "Why?"

"I'm hungry," said Dean matter of factly.

Something's never change." You are?" Sam smiled and put both hands on Dean's shoulders.

"Yup!"

"Well, lets see what we can do about that" As he gently steered Dean out into their room.

Re-energized Dean made a beeline for the bed and started jumping up and down on the mattress. His head coming perilously close to the ceiling.

Sam startled at the sight, "Wait! Don't do that!" he yelled. And Dean's face crumpled as he dropped to the bed. His big hazel green eyes began to fill with tears as he looked up at Sam so wounded. Then he turned his back and buried his face in the pillow.

Awwwwe why'd I hafta yell like that! Sam hurried over and sat beside him but Dean wouldn't look at him. "Hey," Sam said softly, "Hey Dean I'm sorry I yelled but you coulda hurt your self bouncing like that and it....it...scared me."

Dean didn't respond. So Sam reached over and put his hand on Deans hip. "Com'on man, don't be like this turn over ok?"

"Nomph" was Dean's muffled reply into the pillow.

Sam lifted an eyebrow now who's the EMO one?

"Pleeeeeeeze?" Sam said. He could feel Dean shift a little. "Pretty please with Peanut M&M's on it?"

Dean quickly spun around grinning. And that expression did it. Sam grinned back and spontaneously did the unthinkable, he started gently tickling his brother, "Who's a hungry giant? Sam laughed.

"I...(giggle) am!" Dean gasped between laughing fits. The tickling escalated until Dean retaliated with his own fingers on his brother's ribs.

"Ow! Man, Stopit that hurts." Laughed Sam as he pulled away rubbing at his side. Dean did not know his own strength and Sam felt he was going to have bruises there tomorrow. He looked down at Dean thoughtfully. A few giggles still bubbled up from him as his brother lay there smiling back and Sam realized that he was going to have to remember that Dean's body was still the powerhouse it always had been even though a child's mind was controlling it now. Sam sighed. This was so complicated.

Dean's laughter ended and he looked wistfully up, "I wish mommy and daddy were here, when are they gonna come back?"

Sam rubbed his hand through Dean's short locks and said, "They'd be here if they could Dean so just for now it's you n'me ok?"

"kay"

Now was the perfect time to try out the truth thought Sam.

"Hey, buddy...uh, before we get something to eat I gotta tell you a story." Sam moved over to the head of the bed and sat down resting his back against the headboard and reached out for Dean.

Dean scooted up beside him resting his head on Sam's chest, "Is it about giants?"

"Uh... no, not really, it's about brothers." Sam said as he let his arm fall protectively around Dean.

"oh."

"See Dean...I.."

"S'posed to start with 'Once upon a time'"

"What?"

"All stories start with 'Once upon a Time' Sammy."

Sam smiled and brushed his hand again through Dean's short locks, "Sure, it does."

He cleared his throat and said, "Once upon a time there were two brothers, Sam and Dean..."

Dean smiled and looked up at him saying, " I've got a brother named Sam too!"

"You do!?"

"Yup, he's just a baby now, but he's gonna be real cool and fun to play with an we're gonna have lotz of 'ventures!"

Sam felt his throat close and he had to swallow a few times before he could speak. "Well, what if I told you that he's all grown up too like you and....he's me, Dean. I'm your brother. I'm Sam."

Dean looked puzzled, "You're m'brother?"

"Yup"

"But...you're bigger?"

"I might be taller but you 're still my brother, Dean"

"But you're a grown-up?"

Sam huffed, " So are you. You're my big brother."

"I AM? But I don't feel grow'd up I'm just a kid!"

Seeing the rising panic and confusion in his brothers eyes Sam took another tack.

"Shusshhhh, let me try to explain with this story. It's about how Sam tried to help his brother Dean from having some really bad nightmares. It's kind of an adventure itself."

"ok."

"See Dean, you were having these really bad nightmares and it hurt so bad for me.... to see you like that. So I did the only thing I knew how to do, I...uh... cast a spell on you to make the nightmares stop..."

"Like a witch?" Dean said in awe.

"Sorta, but I'm...um, not a witch and because of that the spell went wrong..kinda."

"M' I gonna turn into a frog?"

"No," Sam smiled sadly, "but you did turn into a.... a"

Dean grinned up at him and said, "A giant!" Sam couldn't help but smile back.

"Hey Sammy?"

"What?"

"Thanks for try'in to stop m'nightmares." And he gave Sam a big hug.

Sam tried to swallow the lump in his throat but couldn't this time and he felt his face pinch and tears begin to fill his eyes. "Gulp, you're the best brother anyone could ever..."

Dean looked up with worry at the pain on his brother's face and he put his hand up to Sam's cheek and said, "S'okay Sammy I like be'n a giant!"

Sam put his hand over Deans and squeezed it gently. He wanted to tell him he was sorry, sorry for what he did to him but how could Dean's mind take in all that...now. It was pretty amazing that Dean had absorbed what Sam had told him so far. Better keep it simple and let him have this stolen time of innocence for now because it was going to be over all too soon. And then Sam knew he'd face the music for what he did...he needed help. He decided to call Bobby now.

"Thanks Dean, I'm gonna make one call to someone who might help with this. Do you remember Bobby?"

"Uncle Bobby!"

"That's right! Why don't you go find another pair of socks to wear from your duffle, gesturing to the bag on the floor, while I make the call?"

As Dean scooted off the bed and began to ransack the duffle looking for socks, Sam made the call he'd been dreading.

"Hey, Bobby it's Sam."

When either of the Winchester's called him it usually was because the other one was in trouble and Bobby imedialtely asked, "Sam, is Dean alright?"

"Yeah he is, um, no not really"

"Well, which is it boy?" Gruffed a suspicious Bobby.

"I did something to him, I didn't mean to..."

Bobby's first thought was about the dark powers Sam had been fighting all these years. "Ok, now you're scaring me... Sam, put Dean on the phone."

"Uh, that's just it Bobby. Dean's not entirely himself right now; he's.....a lot younger. About four...I think."

Just then Dean shouted out from the strewn contents of the duffle, "HI UNCLE BOBBY! I'M A GIANT NOW!"

There was a moment of stunned silence from the Singer residence. Then Bobby growled at Sam, "What in tarnation did you do Sam?"

Everything spilled out of Sam in a rush, "I was trying to cast a spell to rid him of the nightmares, Man. They've been getting worse and he's been drinking more and I just couldn't take seeing him drink himself to death. I just got him back Bobby I don't want to loose him again. Watching him go through this.... it's like he's leaving me all over again, ya know? So I cast a spell...and it didn't turn out the way..." Sam swallowed and took a breath to steady himself then said, "I guess I was thinking...wishing... things could go back for Dean the way they were before the whole demon mess entered our lives...and the spell happened at the same time I was thinking about how old Dean was before our lives were changed...so now.... mentally he's about four I'd guess."

"You mean to say he's a little boy again?" came Bobby's incredulous reply.

"No, he's still Dean...a man...he's just mentally.... a child.... innocent." Sam said softly.

Bobby took a moment to process what the younger Winchester was saying. And he did the checklist in his head that he always had to when he got a panic call from those two. Dean was alive-check, he's not in pain-check, Sam's frothing with fear-check cause Dean's not hurt but changed-check. And it's an impossible supernatural occurrence they're facing again-check.

"Sam, put Dean on the phone...now." It was an order Sam could not disobey.

"Hey, Dean you wanna talk to Uncle Bobby?"

A breathless Dean grabbed the phone, "Hi Uncle Bobby!"

"Dean, how're you feeling?"

"Hungry."

Some things never change. "Besides hungry do you hurt anywhere?" Bobby asked gently.

"I had a tummy ache and got sick but Sammy made it all better and now m'just hungry." Dean answered. Then added like he was telling a secret, "I grow'd up and got big...everywhere."

Sam grabbed the phone back before Dean got specific saying, "Did you find your socks? Good, I'll help you put them on in a minute ok?"

Dean yelled, "Bye Uncle Bobby! And got down on the floor on his hands and knees looking through the pile of clothes he'd tossed there.

Sam told Bobby, "I got a visit from Castiel right after it happened..and he told me I had to fix this in three days...or.."

Bobby heard the worry in Sam's voice, "Or what?"

"Or I don't want to find out. Do you know anyone who can help with something like this?"

Bobby scrubbed at the bristles on his unshaven face pondering the possibilities, "Well, you got several choices... maybe. Regular psychology'd take too long. Sam winced inwardly at the reminder of the damage he'd caused. "Then there's a voodoo priest in New Orleans, but that's dark magic and I don't think you want to go there. There is a white witch I used to know in your area."

"A witch?" Sam said with alarm.

"Don't act spooked now, ya idjit, you weren't too nervous to try your own hand at Majik and look at the mess you created," Bobby barked. "She's your best bet and she's on the way."

"Right, you're right I deserve what ever ass kicking I've got com'in, how soon can you get here?"

"Twelve hours I think, try to keep him safe until we get there will ya?"

Sam looked over to his brother sitting on the floor playing 'sock puppets' by the pile of cloths from the duffel and said, "I will, Thanks Bobby."

To be continued

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