Effectively, the two young Winchesters were on the beds, but sleep was far away, even if they were tired to the bone after the long drive and the surprise which had awaited them.

''What do you think, Dale?' Matt asked, turning onto his side to face the older teen.

'Weird, dude,' was Dale's laconic reply. 'Though I can go with those two not knowing about us, our moms sure knew about Sam and Dean. They obviously had sex with them. Why didn't they tell us who our true dads were?'

Matt sighed. 'I believed my dad was Don. He's been a great parent. The poor guy's gonna be hurt when he finds all this out.'

'Why?' Dale asked curious. 'Did your dad think you were his real son?'

'I guess,' Matt replied. 'He used to say that as soon as he came home from the war, mom fell pregnant with me right away. I guess she never told him about Sam.'

'Fuck,' Dale commented, 'he's gonna be miserable when he finds out.'

:

'Maybe we should forget about all this, Dale. Just go home and tell our parents we went on a road-trip or something.'

There was silence in the room for a moment as each teen considered their situation

'I don't think I can,' Dale declared quietly. 'You, your visions, Sam and Dean, the secrets surrounding our birth. There's a bigger picture behind it all. I can feel it.'

'Did you notice all the books on that back wall? Dozens and dozens of ancient looking tomes. Why would two guys living in the middle of nowhere need so many books?'

'Maybe they're retired school-teachers?' Dale chuckled.

Matt rolled his eyes. 'Two people who look less like teachers, I've never seen.'

'I don't know. Your dad looks pretty studious,' Dale said thoughtfully.

'And yours like a gang boss,' Matt replicated with a snort.

'He isn't, dude! I asked him. But I get the impression he's a tough guy, one who's afraid of nothing.'

:

'Yeah, well, I'm tired, Dale,' Matt sentenced all of a sudden. 'We can decide what to do tomorrow.'

A few minutes later a soft snoring could be heard coming from the other bed, the kid was in la-la land already.

But sleep didn't come so easily to Dale. This entire situation was puzzling. It certainly wasn't the first time someone found out his dad wasn't the one he'd always believed, but usually that didn't come about via a new-found cousin and his freaky visions.

Despite his worries, Dale eventually surrendered to sleep like his companion.

:

Their fathers weren't any less troubled.

Dean would never have believed he'd be presented with a son at this late stage in his life, and he knew Sam was just as taken aback.

The teens resembled their younger selves so much, it was almost eerie, like looking through a mirror into the past.

But things were no longer as they had been then.

He and Sam had tied up all the loose ends before taking themselves off to Sioux Falls, rebuilding over Bobby's old place, to live out the rest of their lives as far from the supernatural as possible.

There were fewer monsters around than years back, the Gates of Hell had been closed, the archangels neutralized.

It had to be a mere coincidence that the teens had found them.

Sam had passed his visions onto his son and ...well... blood calls to blood…But that was as far as it went.

:

Tomorrow they'd pack the kids off back to their families. They'd stay in touch of course, but there hadn't been time for a deep relationship to form between them all yet, so the separation wouldn't have the trauma which was always present any time he and Sam were apart.

Thank god, he mused wryly. His relationship with his brother was a blessing and a curse. They simply couldn't live their lives without the other by their side. They'd accepted it, interiorized it, were happy with it, however abnormal their co-dependency might seem to others.

No, Dean decided. There was nothing to be gained by keeping Dale and Matt here. They shouldn't have to know about the supernatural. They deserved to live out their lives like any other kids, not be burdened by horror and fear.

:

:

It was early morning when Sam rolled out of bed, the sun's rays rendering the sky pink with its first blushes.

He bustled around in the open-space kitchen, trying to keep as quiet as he could, but clearly not quiet enough, for when he turned it was to see Dale standing across from the table.

'Gave me start,' Sam said. 'Thought you kids would be out of it for a while yet.'

Dale shrugged. 'Matt's still sleeping. I guess all that vision stuff takes it out of you.'

'Yeah, I guess.'

'Matt told me you have them too,' Dale continued.

'Used to,' Sam replied. 'When I was a bit older than you, then they stopped.'

:

'Listen, I know there's something going on here. A bigger picture. And I think you know it too,' Dale said shrewdly.

'Why do you think that?'

'Come on dude! Visions? Ones that bring Matt to me, then both of us to you. You can't deny the obvious.'

:

Sam switched on the coffee machine. He didn't have a pat answer for Dale.

Dean was of the opinion it was better not to tell the teens the truth of what was out there. Sam wasn't sure if he agreed, but he did understand where Dean was coming from.

But just as Dale had expressed doubts about this affair being normal, Sam had to agree with him.

:

He turned and stared at Dale, really studying him, not caring that the kid might feel embarrassed by his scrutiny.

He looked so much like a young Dean that Sam felt his eyes moistening.

But this boy hadn't had to live the life of terror and despair Dean had, he hadn't been forced into the role of father, mother and brother. Yet, instinctively, he sensed that Dale would've been as able to bear those burdens as his sibling had.

Suddenly Sam knew what to say. 'You deserve an answer, Dale. If you're anything like your father, you do need to be aware of certain things, but it's not a decision I can take on my own. Dean has to be on-board too, and for the moment he isn't. We'll just have to see how things work out before you and Matt head off home.'

'And what if we don't?' Dale declared with a hint of challenge, now that Sam had practically admitted there was a back story to it all. 'What if we want to stay here with you, get to know our dads.'

'I don't know if that's a good idea,' Sam huffed. 'I…'

:

'That freshly-brewed coffee I smell? ' Dean asked, strolling bare-footed into the room.

Dale turned at the sound of his voice. 'Hey…uh…dad,' he ventured, not sure if Dean would be good with being called that.

But the oldest Winchester rolled with it. 'Morning, son,' he replied with a lilting smile.

tbc