Three years later
John forgets Dean's eighth birthday. He's forgotten nearly every birthday Dean has had for the past four years. The only one he remembered was Dean's fifth birthday and that was only because Dean reminded him. Dean never reminded John again because John yelled at him. This year John doesn't come home because he's at a bar but eight year-old Dean and four year-old Sammy don't know that. Dean knows what their dad does and he's terrified that his dad is dead because he was supposed to come home yesterday but he hasn't even called. Sammy thinks their dad is just stuck in really bad traffic-yes traffic-Sammy has this gift of knowledge that Dean cannot comprehend. Why would Sammy care what traffic is when he's only four? Then again, they've been caught in traffic more times than either child can count so Dean assumes that's where Sammy got the idea from.
"Dean?" Sammy asks as he looks up from the page he's coloring.
"Yeah Sammy?" Dean asks, already dreading the words. He knows what this is about and he's been trying to avoid the question all day.
"I'm hungry. Do we have any food?" Sammy asks.
Dean's eyes nearly well up right then and there. Do they have food? Sammy shouldn't have to ask if they have food. He should be trained to ask when dinner is or if he could have some food right now. Not do they have food. So many of the kids at school throw their lunches away because they don't want what their moms put in their lunch-boxes. Well, it must nice to be one of them. It must be nice to have so much food constantly available to you that you decide you won't eat something just because you don't like it.
Dean cuts the train of thought off there because if he continues with it he'll start remembering his mom and he may break in front of Sammy which won't do. Sammy needs him to be strong. Dean wonders if there's anything in the pantry or fridge for dinner. The eight year-old scoots off the chair and walks over to the kitchen. After scouring the cupboard, he finds one can of ravioli left. Just enough for Sammy. He heats the food up, all the while ignoring the growl of his own empty stomach and puts it in a bowl. Then he grabs a spoon and puts the food in front of his brother.
"There you go kiddo." Dean tells Sammy, ruffling the kid's hair.
Sammy digs in but pauses in the middle of his second bite. The four year-old stares at his brother with big confused hazel eyes.
"Where's your food Dean?" Sammy asks.
"I'm not hungry. You eat up okay?" Dean says with a smile.
"You wanna share?" Sammy asks.
"No thanks; now eat before it gets cold." Dean tells the younger boy.
Sammy catches on much faster than he should at his age and frowns, pushing the bowl away. "I'm not eating unless you're eating." Sammy states.
Dean takes the spoon and takes the smallest piece of ravioli he can find. "Happy now?" Dean asks as he pops it into his mouth.
Sammy nods and hops out of his chair. He scurries to the kitchen and presents Dean with a spoon.
"Now we can share!" Sammy announces happily.
"Thanks buddy." Dean says, pretending to go along when really he only takes two small bites.
Anna stands beside Castiel.
"Why does the oldest do that to himself?" Castiel asks as confusion pulses from his being.
"He wants his brother to be okay so he puts him before himself in everything. We can learn lessons from this human." Anna answers.
Uriel scoffs at this. "He's still starving himself."
"What would you do in his place? Both of you answer." Anna asks.
"I would divide it evenly amongst the two." Castiel answers.
"I would take it for myself. The strongest will live the longest." Uriel replies.
"You can both learn from this boy. He sacrifices so much for the well-being of his baby brother." Anna says.
Castiel nods. Perhaps in a way this young human does have the right idea. Maybe Castiel could learn from him.