Sam tensed, instantly alert when it sounded like someone was break in to his and Jess' apartment. Jess and Alex were dead to the world, so he slipped quietly out of bed and into the den where he saw the shadowy figure. He attacked, shocked when he found himself on his back, looking up into the grinning face of...
"Dean?"
"Hey, Sammy!" Dean said cheerfully.
"What... what are you doin' here?"
"Lookin' for beer--- and you're gettin' rusty, kiddo." he smirked.
The two wrassled a bit more, until the lights were flicked on, and a sleepy but shocked Jess was standing there in her shrunken Smurfs T-Shirt and panties.
"What's going on here?" she demanded.
"Nothing, go back to bed..."
"Aren't'cha gonna introduce me?" Dean asked, eyeing her up.
"Oh, yeah. Jess, this is my older brother, Dean. Dean, this is my girlfriend, Jessica."
"Hi. You are way out of my little brother's league." Dean smirked.
"I'm just... gonna go change."
"Oh, no, I wouldn't hear of it."
Sam rolled his eyes.
"What's up, Dean?"
"Dad's missing."
"Well, he'll probably come stumbling back in about two or three days from now." Sam said a bit shortly.
Dean looked frustrated. "Dad went on a hunting trip, and I haven't heard from him in a few weeks."
"Jess, would you please excuse us?"
Jess nodded, but about this time Alex came running out, wearing one of Sam's shirts to sleep in, though it came down to her ankles almost.
"Dean!"
Dean looked genuinely shocked, scooping the pigtailed damsel up into his arms. "Cupcake, when did you get here?"
"About seven o'clock." she said.
"You had no idea she was here?" Sam asked, frowning.
"No, of course not..." he said, sitting her down. "Go get your bag and take it to the car, okay? It's right downstairs."
Alex grabbed the bag off of the couch. "Bye, Sam." she said, hugging him. "Bye, Jess." she said, giving her a quick hug too.
"Go ahead, sweetheart." Dean said, looking at Sam.
"He and I'll be right back." Sam said, walking out to the hallway with him. "Dean, I swore I was done with hunting!" Sam said, annoyed.
"Look, I ain't bugged ya in two years, but you gotta admit, something doesn't smell right here. He drops Alex off with you? Just... vanishes off the face of the earth?"
"Where were you that he had Alex, anyway?" Sam asked.
Usually, it had always been Dean that had taken care of Alex--- and him, for that matter, when they were growing up.
"I was working a case of my own, in New Orleans. She was with me, but he came to get her." Dean shrugged.
"Dad lets you work your own cases now?"
"Dude, I'm 26."
Sam nodded.
"Look, I can't do this on my own."
"Yes, you can..." Sam said.
"Well, yeah... but, I don't want to?" Dean admitted.
Sam sighed. It was more not wanting to let go of Dean right that minute than worry over Dad, but... "Yeah, let me go get a bag."