It was mid-January in Stanley Idaho about five months since Dean shoved his Legos into the heater vents. This is the story about how John found out.

John, Dean and Sammy Winchester ran from their motel room to the Impala. Dean was thinking, 'why don't they ever have a salt in burn on the beach in Florida? Not the coldest city in the continental United States.'

"Dad why can't Sammy and I stay here? I've been responsible and not left him alone again."

"Dean this isn't about responsibility. I may be gone a few weeks and I need you somewhere I know you're safe and taken care of."

"I'm not a baby!"

"I know this. That's why I'm counting on you to help me with research. I need Uncle Bobby to keep Sam in line so you can work and not worry about him."

Dean sat up and beamed at his Dad's statement. It had the desired effect and John smiled with pride at his oldest son.

"Thanks Dad."

"You're welcome son."

The Impala was so nice and warm compared to the cold snowy outside. Dean had all but forgotten about the Legos he stuffed in there to save his butt so many months ago. That is until the heater started making a loud rattle.

"What the hell is that noise?" John said to nobody in particular.

"I don't know Daddy." Sammy said. "What do you think it is Dean?"

Dean gulped he knew exactly what it was and he knew what would happen when Dad found out. "Sounds like somethings in the fan."

Dean hoped he was general enough not to raise any red flags with his Dad. John thought he saw a little flicker of guilt run across Dean's face but looking again he knew he'd imagined it. How could Dean know anything about a rattle in the heater?

"Well, at least it's still putting out heat. Let's hope it doesn't go out, we have a two day trip to Uncle Bobby's. I'll just have to get it checked out when I get back."

Dean felt guilty. He wanted to tell his Dad what was wrong with the heater. It would be the right thing to do especially since he didn't know if it could cause damage or not. Dad was treating him like a grown up so he should be a man and own up to it and take his licks. 'Would his Dad respect him more for owning up to it?' He thought.

But on the other hand, if he told his Dad, then his Dad would know that he was playing with toys a few months back when he was grounded. Which would also mean that he was ungrounded for untrue reasons. He would also be caught in a lie and lying was something you never do to John Winchester. His dad just finished telling him he was old enough to be trusted to research a hunt and he's afraid he won't be allowed to help if Dad finds out what he did. He had two days to figure out what he was going to do before they got to Uncle Bobby's. All these decisions gave him a headache so he decided to take a nap.

"You okay sport?" Dad asked when he noticed Dean laying his head down and closing his eyes.

"I just have a headache Dad, nothing major. I'm just going to close my eyes for a while if that's okay?"

"Sure that's fine son. Let me know if it gets bad enough you need some medicine."

"Yes sir."

That settled it in John's mind. Dean definitely knows something about the rattling in the heater. He doesn't know what it could be or how he could know but he's sure Dean knows. The boy's covering up something and it's upsetting him enough to cause a headache and the guilt of whatever it is, has got him into the 'yes sir' mode.

Dean slept restlessly for the next couple of hours. They stopped off at a little diner to eat. Dean wasn't very hungry but knows not to waste food,

"Dad, can I just have a cheeseburger and a small fry?"

Even though John knew what was going on somewhat, he played along,

"Are you coming down with something Dean?" He said feeling Dean's forehead.

"No Dad," Dean tried to shrug him off with no luck.

"I'm going to give you some Tylenol when we get back to the car."

"Really Dad, I'm okay!"

"Just the same, you're going to take some."

"Dean, are you gonna be okay?" Sammy asked looking worried.

"Yeah tiger, I'm fine."

They got their food and Dean was a little hungrier than he thought but was glad he only ordered small. Dad had Dean take Sam to the bathroom and out to the car. As soon as he saw the Impala he became nauseous.

"Will you play with me in the car?"

"No, I'm gonna rest."

"But Dean, it gets so boring playing alone. Please!"

"Sammy, I said no!"

"Please, please, please!"

"Dammit Sammy I said NO!" Dean said not knowing his Dad had paid the check and was right behind him.

Sammy burst into tears. Dean never yells at him let alone cusses at him.

John grabbed Dean's left arm and proceeded to swat the kid the rest of the way to the car. Not hard, because he knew Dean would be ass up over his knee soon enough. He just wanted Dean undivided attention. They got to the car and Dad stooped down to look right into Dean's eyes and said,

"Dean I know you don't feel well, but that doesn't give you the right to take it out on your brother. He's six and you usually entertain him in the car and he's a little stir crazy right now. I want you to apologize and set things right while I get you some medicine. Have I made myself clear son?"

"Yes sir. Sorry I let you down Dad."

"You didn't let me down Dean. You just got side tracked and forgot what's important." John said as he got up and left Dean to work things out with Sammy.

Dean walked over to where Sammy leaned again the Impala crying. He casually dropped his arm around his little brother's shoulders and said,

"Hey Tiger, I'm sorry."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I just let this headache take over. Your big brother is a jerk."

"I could have told you that one!"

"Yeah, you bitch. You do that enough."

"Dean!"

"Daddy it's okay. When we call each other jerk and bitch it means everything is okay between us again. Please don't spank him again."

"Can't you call him something besides bitch?"

Sammy pouted and gave Dad the biggest puppy dog eyes ever and said,

"It wouldn't feel the same but we can change it if you want us to."

He looked so sad that you just wanted to hug him and give into his demands. John looked at his sons and realized that Dean hadn't let go of Sammy since they got to the car. He reluctantly said,

"As long as I don't hear you calling anyone else that word then, I'll let you say it."

"Thanks Daddy."

"Thank you sir."

'Yep, something definitely going on with Dean.' John thought.

The boys climbed in the back seat and Dean played with Sam for a little while but when the heater made a loud rattle, he laid his head down. John saw a few tears falling. He needed to figure this out soon. He couldn't take two days of Dean being this upset.

Dean had slept most of the day away. They stopped for dinner and he still didn't have much of an appetite. John made the decision to talk to him about it when they got to the hotel. He tried to get Dean to confess to whatever it was but he wouldn't. He could tell his son was miserable in guilt.

Sam was asleep when they got to the motel. He didn't even wake when he carried him in and laid him in the bed. Dean went to take a bath and get ready for bed. John decided to have a talk with Dean and get this resolved now.

"Good night Dad." Dean said as he headed to lay down with Sammy.

"Come here sport we need to talk."

'Oh shit, he knows.' Dean thought as he walked to stand in front of his dad.

"Yes sir, what about?"

"About the real reason you've been feeling badly all day."

"Oh that."

"Yeah that. Now I know you've done something wrong and it has to do with the heater. I also know it's making you miserable. The guilt is eating at you so just tell me, we'll deal with it and you'll be forgiven and we can move on."

"If I tell you, you will be mad for what I did and it will show I did something wrong months ago and then you'll be so disappointed in me for it all you won't trust me ever again and I will spend all my time at Uncle Bobby's in my room and I won't be able to help research." Dean busted out crying.

John picked up Dean and held him. As Dean cried into his shoulder his dad asked him,

"It's that bad?"

"I made a stupid decision about six months ago and things have piled up because of it. I wanted to confess but I hate you being disappointed in me."

"Well, I may be disappointed in what you did but I'm always proud of you! You're my oldest son. You make mistakes but all kids do. So tell me what you did and we'll deal with it. I promise you I need your help researching and helping with Sammy so those are things you WILL be doing. Now I can't promise you'll be sitting comfortably but you will get to help."

"Really, even if you are really upset."

John didn't like the sound of that but said,

"Yes, even if I get REALLY mad, you can help."

"Okay Daddy, thanks."

"I have one question, is Sammy involved in this in anyway?"

"Not really sir."

"So in a way he is?"

"I guess you could say yes."

"Okay, tell me everything."

"It was back when I was grounded and we had to go on the hunt with you."

"The one where I spanked Sam in the car?"

"Yes sir."

"Okay go on."

"Well Sammy brought my Legos so I could play with him. I said no but you were gone for a long time so I broke down and played. When I saw you getting close and I couldn't get them put up I shoved them in the heater vent in the dash."

"So, let me get this straight, first you played with your Legos when you weren't allowed. Then you shoved the Legos in the heater vents. Then you lied to me and I ungrounded you. You never told me so now the heat rattles because of your Legos. Did I get all of that correct?"

"Yes sir," Dean looked down tears already flowing.

"So what part did Sammy play?"

"Do I have to say? Can't you guess so I don't get him in trouble?"

"Tell me now Dean."

"He lied when he said he forgot his book. He was getting my Legos."

"Okay, so both of my boys lied to me that night."

"Yes sir."

"Okay then, follow me."

Dean knew that what was about to happen to him tonight, would happen to Sammy in the morning. They went into the bathroom. "Sit." Dad said as he reached for a new bar of soap. He lathered it up and looked at Dean,

"Open wide."

Dean hated this but did as he was told. His Dad washed out his mouth with that bar of soap. He made sure it got everywhere in his mouth. He left the bar in Dean's mouth and said,

"Close, three minutes."

When time was up, he was allowed to rinse but the taste wasn't fully gone when Dad said,

"Time's up, lose you bottoms and bend over hands on the toilet."

Dean didn't say anything because the taste is his mouth was awful. He did as instructed and his Dad reached around his waist and held him tight and proceeded to spank him. Dean was crying after a while. The combination of the guilt, soap and swats he broke down. After a Dean's backside turned red, Dad picked up the hairbrush and said,

"You're getting ten."

Dean yelped with the first and was sobbing when the tenth hit his sit spot. John fixed his clothes and sat down holding his son. When Dean calmed enough to trust his voice, he said,

"I'm sorry Daddy."

"I forgive you Dean. You do know you're grounded. You and Sammy both for two weeks."

Dean sighed.

"Is there a problem son because I can still put you over my knee until we're good."

"No sir, we're good it's just that a whole day in the car with a grounded Sammy isn't going to be easy."

"I'll pick four things a piece you can each play with during those weeks. But nothing else and if you complain about my choices you lose them all. Understood?"

"Yes sir, but can you make sure Sammy understands that. I don't want to lose my toys because he complains."

"Yes I will, now let's get you into bed."

John helps Dean into the bed on his tummy and tucks him in. He ruffles his hair and kisses him goodnight.

"I love you Dean."

"Love you too Dad."

Then he does the same to Sammy.

"Love you Sammy." he whispers.

"Love you too Daddy." Sammy says without out opening his eyes. "Dean, are you okay?"

"Yeah, tiger I'm good."

"Dean am I in trouble for the Legos too?"

"For lying about the book to get them, yes."

"Sorry Dean." Sammy yawned big, "I'm sleepy" and scooted over closer to Dean, wrapped and arm around his shoulders and went instantly back to sleep. John smiled down at his boys with pride.

Morning came all too soon. Sammy got up to see Dad drinking a coffee.

"Sleep good tiger?"

"Yes sir."

"Listen, I know you know we're going to talk this morning. Why don't you go take your bath and get something comfortable on and come get me?"

"Okay Daddy sir."

When Sam was finished with his bath, Dad followed the same routine as he did with Dean and the soap. Sammy only got two minutes though, and his whole spanking was over the knee. When it came time for the brush, Sam got one lick to each sit spot. His howling's what woke Dean up.

Dean patiently waited for Sammy to calm down and come out of the bathroom. He got dressed and sat gently on the bed and waited. Sam rushed out and straight into Dean's arms.

"I'm sorry I got you in trouble Dean."

"I forgive you Sammy."

They hugged for a few minutes. Dad called out to them,

"Boys, bring me your toy bags."

"Sammy, please don't complain or we get nothing. Remember that this is better than nothing."

"I won't Dean."

John picked out five toys for each kid and put them into a new bag. The rest got put in the trunk. They ate breakfast and loaded carefully into the back seat of the Impala. Dad started the engine and when the heat kicked on, you could hear the Legos rattle. To this Day, it is another story the Impala could tell.