AN: Thank you *so* much nightmares06, goldacharmed, itsmuffintimesir, Maddie, and Heroofthe13thDay for the super kind reviews as I was posting!
Dean sat on the beach, watching the tiny gulls fly overhead in the light breeze.
After Sam had gone to get his stitches fixed, Dean had left, (with Lillian's permission) to walk back to her safe house and get his duffel. Then he had walked all the way to the beach he woke up on to collect the cooler and check to ensure the army had picked up camp quickly to go back to their own country. The little boat they had come on was banked, but Dean was able to get it back into the water and sail to the other beach to wait for Sam and Lillian.
And it was there where Sam found him an hour later, staring out across the horizon. The sun cast it's evening light low in the sky; after all the events that happened it seemed like longer time should have passed since they got on the boat early that morning. He shook his head with a slight smile, stepped onto the sand, and made his way over to his brother's side. Sam's stomach ached as he carried the hand-made life jacket he had retrieved from the home of the family who took him in. The doctors wanted to keep him longer to watch his stitches, but he insisted he could rest just fine on his own. He'd just have to lay off on climbing for a bit – something that would have been detrimental to his survival before, but now was nothing to worry about since he was with his brother.
"Hey Dean," Sam greeted warmly once he came up beside his brother, setting down the life-jacket with a slight exhale of relief. "All ready?" They hadn't talked about it but Sam assumed that, like after any case they finished, they would move on right away. He was sure Dean would be more comfortable at home anyway, no matter how at-ease he acted.
"Hey," Dean replied, shooting a lazy grin down at him. "Got the boat and everything, oh-!" he patted his breast pocket of his flannel then scooped his fingers to retrieve Sam's bag. "Here ya go, the possessed general found it on shore where I washed up." He lowered his hand down to give it to Sam.
"Wow, I'm can't believe it made it," Sam said with disbelief as he took it off Dean's outstretched fingers. He quickly slung it across his chest and its familiar weight finally made him feel like himself. "I can't believe all of our stuff made it. This whole thing has been crazy and that's saying something in our line of work."
Dean looked away then, turning back to watch the waves lap onto the beach. "Sure has…" A heavy pause fell between them. Then Dean cleared his throat. "Look, Sammy…" This was something he'd been thinking about ever since he first found Sam. Dean knew he had to say it now, so Sam knew he had a choice. "You don't gotta come back with me. This place, sure it's crazy it even exists - but it does, and you can have a life here. One where you don't have to be on guard all the time; hell - where you can get help at a hospital." He shifted, still not looking at his smaller brother. "When you got shot, I had no idea what to do - luckily Lillian was around. But if something that bad ever happened back home...?" Dean shook his head, not even wanting to think about it
"Dean," Sam said softly, resting a hand on his brother's arm to quiet his troubled thoughts. "I don't want to stay here." He stared up at Dean, watching his jaw clench with varying emotions, but his brother kept his eyes locked on the distant horizon despite what Sam said. "Lilliput is amazing - I'll give it that – but it's not home. It could never be. My home with you, in the impala."
Dean looked down at Sam now, eyes filled with hope. "Really? Are you sure you wouldn't rather stay here? They don't know anything about the supernatural, they need a good hunter to teach them the ropes. 'Sides, I think that princess has her eye on you."
"Yeah right," Sam laughed, giving Dean's arm a little punch. "And of course I'm sure, I've never been more sure of anything. I'm different here too because of the curse, I'm still a little stronger than normal for my size. Besides," he shot Dean a grin, "I've grown accustomed to having a human taxi and would hate to have to actually pay someone to take me places."
Dean rolled his eyes, grateful for the sincerity as well as the mood lightening. "Always happy to oblige, pint-size."
"Hello boys!" Lillian's voice called out across the beach, and they both turned to find her waving widely with a large smile as she walked towards them.
"Speakin' of…" Dean smirked, poking Sam lightly on the side that wasn't hurt, "she probably came to give you a goodbye kiss."
"Stop it," Sam huffed, pushing his finger away with annoyed look. "She'll hear you."
"I just stopped in to talk to Joyce – what a lovely woman," Lillian said once she was beside them, oblivious to their teasing. "She's going crazy in the kitchen though for some reason but I had to meet her after she helped Sam out the way she did."
She paused to take a breath and push back those curls that always seemed to stubbornly fall across her forehead. "The civilians are getting more confident now that the threat has passed, and it's taken a lot of our officers to keep them away from the beach. We aren't afraid you'll hurt anyone, Dean, but I don't want them swarming you to take pictures or something," she rolled her eyes. "Apparently, someone recorded a video of you being adorable while talking and playing with that little boy outside the hospital and it went viral immediately – you're a bona fide celebrity here now, everyone loves you."
Dean grinned, a little taken aback. "Really? A whole city loves me?"
"Probably the whole country."
"Oh great, you shouldn't have told him that," Sam groaned in mock dismay; secretly though, he was just as pleased. "Now it will most definitely go to his head – he has a big enough one as it is."
"Hey, it's only big compared to yours," Dean retorted, reaching down to playfully nudge Sam with a knuckle. "I'll have you know my head is perfectly normal for my size."
Lillian laughed as Sam stumbled up against her. He sheepishly muttered an apology while backing away to shoot a glare up at the bigger Winchester, whose hand retreated quickly as he looked innocently back down on them.
"Well, anyhow," Lillian said as she got her own footing, "my parents would be here if they could, but they still have things to clear with Biefuscu and important meetings to set up and all that, so I get to keep doing the liaising between the crown and our country's very own heroes."
The brothers smiled a little shyly at that, and Lillian felt a swell of pride and happiness from having met these two young men. "I know you both didn't particularly intend to come here, but I must express on behalf of the entire country our deepest gratitude for your help. Without you both and your extensive knowledge on the supernatural, we may have very well been in a war right now. Thank you." She gave them each a large smile.
"Wait, nobody's leavin' yet!" Another female voice rang out. All three heads turned to find Joyce coming towards them on the beach, followed closely by Jeffery. They were both holding something in their arms and moving carefully across the sand.
"Well," Joyce huffed out as soon as they were close enough, clearly out of breath. She thumped a plastic container onto the sand, still not looking up yet. "That was quite the trek carrying this. I should've thought that out better…" Jeffery stopped next to her, carrying two thermoses and buzzing with excitement at seeing them all again.
Joyce looked up, blushing slightly as she noticed Princess Lillian again, a warm smile Sam's way, and then finally a nod Dean's way; her composure was friendly even as the color drained from her face a bit. "It's nice to formally meet you, Dean. Sam has been really worried about you. Jeffery told me you both would be stopping by so I, uh…Well I made more chicken noodle soup for the trip because my mum's recipe always made me feel better and…" She trailed off, noticing her rambling. "Anyway, now that I think about it, it was silly. There's obviously not enough for you and I don't even know if you like chicken noodle soup and…"
"I love chicken noodle soup," Dean interrupted gently with a friendly grin. "I haven't had anything home-made for a while, so any amount I can get is always a score for me." He winked, and Joyce beamed. "I'm glad you came out, I wanted to thank you in person for helping out my little brother."
"Yes, thank you for all you've done," Sam agreed sincerely. "I don't even know what I would've done if you guys didn't take me in."
"Oh…It was nothing, I'm just happy to help." Joyce was blushing even more now, and Jeffery was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet from staying silent for so long.
"Yeah! Like I told Dean," Jeffery finally burst out, looking at each one of the excitedly, "this was the best day ever!"
Everyone shared a chuckle at his exuberance, then a voice called out from the family's house: "Oy, Joyce- the news just said the giant is on our beach!"
Joyce rolled her eyes in exasperation while Sam tried hold in a laugh. "I know, Frank dear, he's Sam's brother and I'm with them right now!" she called back.
The sound of the window opening further could be heard, and then Frank's head was seen sticking out. "Well, what do you know!" he exclaimed, giving the group a wave.
Joyce gave them all a 'what can you do' shrug before glancing between the princess, Sam, and Dean, noticing they might want a little bit of privacy to finish saying their goodbyes. "We better get back to him, that poor man is useless without me. The world could be ending and he wouldn't notice– would he Jeffery?" She looked down at her son, who shook his head enthusiastically in agreement.
"GoodBYE!" Jeffery told them all, running forward to hand Sam a thermos of soup and a bag of his washed and dried clothes.
With a round of final goodbyes, Sam watched the two walk back to their house. He set the thermos and sack on the ground and adjusted his satchel as Lillian turned back to them.
She let her gaze drift to the bags ready to go and the boat waiting for them on the beach, and she felt a twinge of sadness. "You are both more than welcome to stay as long as you like, as the crown's most honored guests, but…" She looked down, "I imagine you both would be wanting to get home."
Dean felt a twinge of sadness of his own at the thought of leaving behind a friend. "Well, thank you," Dean told her, seeing her look up at his words. "We wouldn't have even been able to do anything without your help, seriously. I'd still be chained up thinking Sam was being held captive."
"And I'd be wandering around your city trying to find Dean and figure out where the heck I was," Sam joined in with a grin. "This has been great, and I really wish we could stay longer. But since we don't even know how to get back, or if there's a time difference back home, it's better if we do leave right away."
Lillian nodded. "Yes, I understand. And you both should know I intend to set up a royal group of our own hunters to study lore and train to be prepared against anything that comes our way." She looked at them both again, then in a decidedly un-princess-like-behavior, shot forward to throw her arms around Sam, making him stumble back in surprise. He was taller than her so her head rested against his chest as she wrapped him tightly into a hug, mindful of the stitches. "Goodbye," she murmured with a sigh.
All Sam could see were dark, bouncy curls, and he smiled and hugged back. "Bye, Lillian. I'm glad I ran into you at the hospital." They were lucky to have met her, and to call her a friend.
Lillian gave him one last squeeze and let go to turn to Dean, whose eyebrows shot up in surprise as she raised her arms out. "Your turn – don't you go thinking you could leave without one!"
"Wouldn't dream of it," Dean replied with a chuckle before hesitantly lowering a hand for her to step on to. She hoped on without a second thought and he held his breath as he raised her up to his chest. He paused; he was only used to hugging Sam and was unsure if he would be overwhelming her, she had been fine the other couple times being so close to him but –
His worries evaporated as Lillian jumped up against his chest, spreading her arms as wide as she could. "You're like the little sister I never wanted," he joked with a smile. He brought his other hand over to cup around her tiny form, and closed his eyes. "See ya, Princess."
She smiled, hearing the rumbling vibrations deep in his chest and the steady beat of his heart. The warmth of being cupped in his hand was comforting, and something she would never forget. Dean Winchester sure looked intimidating, but she was glad she had looked past that to find his gentler, caring nature. He was tough on monsters but soft to anyone he cared for, and she was proud to be one of those people. "Goodbye, Dean," she whispered, knowing it reached his ears by the way he held her closer.
Then she was back on solid ground and the absence of his warmth made her suddenly cold. She pulled her jacket closer and shifted her feet in the sand. "Well, if another freak storm happens to hit, you boys are both very welcome here."
"Good to know," Sam said with a grin. "And, for the record: this country is lucky to have you as its future leader, you're going to be a great queen." He held her gaze, wanting her to sense the sincerity in his words. Then after she gave him a watery nod, he bent down to pick up the thermos of soup stuffed his washed clothes in his bag. His stomach ached from the movements but it reminded him to take it easy as he walked over to Dean.
"Wait," Dean stopped his little brother before he could even think about attempting to climb up like he always did. "I'll double as an elevator service from now on until you heal like when your arm was broken, alright?"
Sam nodded gratefully and stepped onto the awaiting palm, bag over his shoulder bulging with his clothes and thermos of hot soup in hand. His life jacket was scooped up by Dean and carefully packed inside the duffle bag that was then slung over his other shoulder; all of these movements Sam noticed were especially slow and calculated so as not to unbalance him on the hand.
Once everything was ready Dean slowly brought Sam up to his chest, figuring with his little brother's hands full he wouldn't want to sit on his shoulder until they were on the boat. Then, shooting another wink and smile Lillian's way, stood up and scooped his own small container of soup up in his other hand. "Ready Sam?" he asked, looking down at the brother he had cupped safely in hand.
Sam let his gaze wander across the distant city before him, soaking it in. Being here was a strange, nice little gift of normalcy, showing him what things might have been like if he had never been hit with the curse. But then he felt the familiar, steady pulse of Dean's heartbeat beneath his boots and the satisfied feeling of a job well down and he knew he would never trade the life he had now for anything. "Yeah, let's go home."
It was later that day when the sun was finishing its slow dip beneath the ocean's horizon that the brothers docked. A feeling of dazed sleepiness hung over them and the memory of the trip back itself was hazy, but the details of the events in Lilliput were clear in their minds and their bellies were warm from homemade soup. They had not intended to voyage to a different world when setting out to sail that morning, but in doing so they had ended up saving a whole city of people. With this new adventure tucked under their belts and friendships in their hearts, Sam and Dean found themselves back in the impala, driving along the dusky road toward their next case.
AN: :') And that's the end of the brothers' adventures in Lilliput! I had so much fun writing it, I'm sad that it had to end too! (But I figured I'd better wrap it up so I could edit it in time for the contest deadline lol) Thanks again for reading/reviewing!