Disclaimer: Still don't own, not mine. #%##)! no, that didn't make me feel better... sandbox raid?

NOTE#1: Thank you so much for all the reviews and I must say: I am sooooooo sorry for the 7 pm post. I'll try to dodge the deserved bullets... so if I live through them I'll try my best to post earlier on Sunday... (Bats eyelashes and tries to look innocent) Smiles as well for the alerts and favs... Ya'll Rock, Winchester style! Yep, I went there! LOL... now on with the story...

Chapter 3

"So, what are our plans for the rest of the day?" Bobby asked as Dean led Sammy to the bedroom that they had shared since they were kids.

"I was thinking about taking a nap with Sammy here. He can't seem to keep his eyes open." Dean said as he sent a silent message along with his statement.

"I'm not a bab…ba…" Sammy stopped and sat down hard on his bed as he bowed his head so no one could see his tears. He couldn't even finish his sentence… what the hell?

"Sammy, I'm tired too. So, take a nap with me so I can rest. Ya know I sleep better when you're in the room… guess I'm just used to your snoring." Dean tried to joke as he patted Sammy on the shoulder and then went to sit on his own bed before he asked, "So?"

Sammy looked up and across at Dean, he did look exhausted… he nodded and with a smile Dean laid back and closed his eyes.

"I'll just go downstairs and when you boys wake up I'll fix dinner." Bobby said quietly.

Before Bobby made it to the door, Dean said softly, "Thanks, Bobby."

"No problem, kid." Bobby said with a smile as he left the room.

Dean lay still for a few minutes as he waited for Sammy to lay down. After another minute he opened his eyes and raised up to look at his little brother who was still sitting in the same spot staring into space.

When another minute passed and Sammy had yet to blink, Dean sat up. Still no movement from little brother so he stood. Still nothing. "Sammy?" Dean finally called out softly as his heart rate increased along with his panic level.

He knew Cas had said that Sam was gone, but he'd said that before and Sam had been hiding in the shadows of Sammy's mind. So he had a right to be on the edge of the freak zone. He went to his brother and knelt in front of him, he moved Sammy's head to the right then left as he studied him. No movement at all. Okay, it was officially time to fuckin' freak!

He thought wildly as he placed a hand on Sammy's cheek and squeezed his knee with his other, "Not funny, dude…" Dean said softly as he rubbed his thumb across his brother's cheek, "Come on, what's going on with you little brother?"

Sammy's eyes slowly closed as he started to lean on Dean's hand as he slumped forward.

Dean's heart raced as he quickly stood and laid Sammy back on his bed. His hands now pressed to wrist and chest as he checked pulse and breathing. Both appeared normal which had Dean sighing in relief.

"Sammy." Dean whispered as he patted Sammy's chest he sat down next to him to once again wait for his brother to wake up.

Sammy slowing came awake to a weight pressing down on his chest. Dean. He just knew Dean was close. Gun oil. He smiled as he opened his eyes to see Dean sitting beside him on the bed with his hand on his chest… well, that explained the weight feeling. His eyes were closed, head hanging down and he appeared to be asleep. He slowly reached out and touched Dean's arm. Nothing. He was asleep… sitting up! What the hell? He reached out and firmly grasped Dean's arm just above the elbow as he sat up. Once he started moving Dean startled awake and would have fallen off the edge of the bed if not for Sammy's grip on his arm.

Dean looked down at Sammy's grip on his arm and followed it up to Sammy's worried face. "Sammy, dude…" Dean breathed out in a sigh of relief.

"D… you okay?" Sammy asked, still holding onto to Dean's arm until he got a response he was happy with.

Dean slapped Sammy once on the chest as he said with his smile never waivering, "I am now."

Sammy frowned as he asked, "Why were you asleep sitting up? That's not…"

Dean shoved Sammy playfully back on the bed as he stood he told him, "Let's go see what Bobby's planning for food cause I gotta tell you, dude… I'm starving."

Sammy smiled shaking his head as he sat up and snarked, "When aren't you hungry?"

Dean smiled down at him as he held out a hand to help Sammy up while he shrugged and made a face that indicated he wasn't sure.

Sammy muttered under his breath, "Jerk… you haven't been sleeping." He was worried about his big brother.

"What?" Dean asked as he studied Sammy.

"I said, jerk." Sammy said loudly before he added, "Getting deaf in your old age too, D."

"Too? Just what else do you think is wrong with me, bitch?" Dean snarked back as he gave Sammy a shove towards the door.

"Where do I begin?" Sammy asked and laughed out loud as he headed for the hallway.

"You are so paying for that… you get to help me change the oil in my baby after we eat." Dean said with a grin at Sammy's back.

"Dean you been working on her for a solid week… don't tell me you haven't already done that." Sammy commented with a glance over his shoulder.

"Ah, you think you know me so well." Dean joked back as he chuckled because yeah that had been one of the first things he had done.

"Just tell me I'm wrong." Sammy said as he reached the top of the stairs only to be shoved gently back as Dean started down the stairs first. He wanted to go down first just in case Sammy had a issue and fell. He just never knew when an attack would hit his little brother and he wanted to prevent any tumbles down the stairs.

"Hey, jerk. The food will still be there when you get there." Sammy commented with a huge dimple enhancing smile.

"Yeah, but will it by the time you get in there?" Dean joked as he reached the bottom and turned to wait on Sammy.

"Probably not, you pig." Sammy said with a straight face.

"Oink, oink." Dean commented as he turned as headed for the kitchen… An hour at a time. Not one day for them but one hour. He would count each hour a victory if they got through it with no side affects. It was a good thing they were retired, because it sure as hell wouldn't be safe for Sammy right now to be out in that world at the moment.

Sammy laughed at him, his pre-college laugh. It was good to hear. Dean joined in and they found Bobby in the kitchen fixing breakfast.

"Isn't it a little late for breakfast?" Dean commented because he remember Bobby saying he was fixing dinner.

"Have either of you had breakfast?" Bobby asked without looking at Dean.

"No." Dean answered for both of them.

"Well, then it's not too late for it, is it?" Bobby asked with a glance at the boys.

"Nope. I agree with Bobby." Sammy said with a smile cause he liked 'Bobby' breakfasts.

"I thought you were going to wait for us to come down?" Dean asked with a slight push at the chair in front of him.

"Heard you moving around, figured it wouldn't be long before you trampled down stairs seeing how you're a bottomless pit when it comes to food." Bobby snarked.

"You know us so well, Uncle Bobby…" Dean teased even as his eyes showed the love he had for the old man.

"idgits." Bobby muttered as he waved at Dean to get plates with his spatula. He turned back towards the stove so they wouldn't see his eyes tear up at the boys playful banter. He didn't realize how much he had missed it until he was hearing it again.

TBC