I stole my brother's laptop back to write this chapter. I don't know how long it will take for him to notice it missing but when he does...remember me. Lol
It's been a month and that stupid ball of dread is not going away. Dean was having serious flashbacks to when he was sixteen, and it just made the feeling exponentially worse. It was slowly driving him insane and made him as jittery as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Jack commented on it and Dean managed to convince him he was just worried about his contract renewal with the museum, luckily Jack bought it and left it at that.
He needed a distraction and by the Fates, one dropped into his lap. Literally.
Dean was at his usual coffee shop haunt, in his usual seat by the window, with his usual order; black coffee, no sugar or cream and three maple sticks. Some would say it was sad that at his age he already had a routine, but Dean found comfort in it. It was nice to have something that was somewhat permanent. His dad tried to keep them from moving around too much during the summer but Dean pushed him to accept the job offers he was getting from digs all around the world. It took the other archaeologists a while to understand that the only time Daniel would accept any offers would be during the summer, after school got out.
He loved the fact his dad was receiving job offers. Before, no anthropologist would come within ten feet of his dad for fear of his so-called far-fetched theories of how old the pyramids actually are would rub off on them and tarnish their reputation. It was stupid but recent evidence has lent some credence to his earlier theories, and all of sudden there was snobby academics coming out and saying they supported Daniel from the get-go. Dean actually gagged when a particular asshole kissed his dad's ass. His dad shot him a reproving look but Dean saw the small quirk of his lips.
Awesome for his dad but it meant he was never home for the summer, sometimes the dig would go longer than the expected timeline and Dean would miss the first half of school or on the rare occasions, he and his mother would head back to the States without Daniel. Luckily, college goes by semesters and his education didn't suffer, and the university he attended offered online courses, so he got his degree in the timeline he set up for himself. Some of the digs he went on, the university counted them as school credits as long as he wrote a paper about what they found and what he learned.
Dean was pulled out of memory lane when a body fell into his lap. "Oomph!"
"Oh my god, I am so sorry."
"No, problem," Dean said, rubbing his stomach. "Damn, girl, what have you been eating?"
An older blonde woman glared at him, affronted. "I'll excuse that because I just fell on you."
Dean flushed. "Sorry. Didn't mean to say that."
She looked him over critically and Dean shifted in his seat but returned her stare evenly. A small smile flitted across her face, pleased at his uncowed demeanor. "Apology accepted."
"Cool. Wanna get off me?"
Now she was the one flushing. "Sorry."
Dean waved it off. "Want sit with me...on a chair, I mean."
She laughed. "Yes, please. Again I apologize for landing on you."
"It wasn't too bad. It's not every day a beautiful woman lands in my lap, at least not since that time in Athens." Dean grinned at the memory. The local beauty was quite feisty both in and out of bed and she was the perfect guide.
"I guess I should introduce myself, huh," she said wryly. "My name is Doctor Eleanor Visnyak, I'm an anthropology professor at Stanford. I'm here to meet you, Doctor Winchester." Dean quirked an eyebrow. "I came here to see if you can come talk to my students as a guest lecturer. I think they can learn a lot from you, considering your background."
"'Considering my background'? And what is my background exactly?"
"Oh dear. I didn't mean it that way. I meant that you grew up with Doctor Jackson, Archaeologist Extraordinaire. I personally like to call him the Phoenix."
"Huh?" Baffled does not cover what he's currently feeling.
"The Phoenix. He rose from the ashes anew. You have to admit he had quite the tarnished reputation after saying the pyramids were older than we originally thought."
"Do I?"
"Oh shit. This is not going the way I had hope. How am I supposed to get you to come teach my students when I'm insulting your adoptive father?" Dr. Visnyak lamented at her own stupidity.
"Okay. One: he's my dad. Two: say you're sorry. Three: buy me more maple sticks and another round of coffee and ask me again."
Her head shot up from where she had it laying, and stared at Dean in shock. He smirked at her, waiting.
"Yes, of course. I am truly sorry for insulting your father, Doctor Winchester. Doctor Jackson is a good man."
"And?"
She smiled hesitantly at him. "And I'll go get your order of coffee and maple sticks. I'll be right back."
"Take your time," Dean said, shifting to a more comfortable position.
Doctor Visnyak gave him another look before getting up and getting Dean's order. Someone has trust issues, Dean mused.
"So will you do it," she asked a few minutes, startling Dean.
Woman moves like a ninja.
Dean took a sip of his coffee and savored the bitter taste. "Yeah. I got a few weeks off from work. What's the pay?"
"Whatever you want," she said quickly.
"Seriously? Wow. Okay, and when do you want me to start?"
Doctor Visnyak pulled out a folder from her bag. "Next week. I'll need this week to prepare my students. I won't tell them you will be the guest lecturer, I want to surprise them. Here are the directions to the lecture hall, a travel voucher, and a list of what I have gone over for each of my classes." She handed Dean the folder.
Dean perused the notes and nodded in approval. She's a good teacher, that's for sure. "Alrighty, Doctor Visnyak. I'll see you next week." Dean shook her hand and left, he had a meeting with his boss to discuss his upcoming contract renewal.
"Oh, and Doctor Winchester," Visnyak called to him, Dean turned around to look at her. "You can call me Eleanor, may I call you Dean?"
He shook his head. "It was interesting meeting you, Visnyak."
Dean chuckled to himself at her pissed off expression. What? She insulted his dad. There was no way in hell was he going to forgive someone that quick. In fact, Visnyak got off easy. He'll plan his revenge against her later. No one insults his dad and gets away with it. He gave Visnyak a mock salute and walked away.
SPNDW
"Are you nuts," Jack asked in exasperation. "Dean, your parents have been looking forward to going to Egypt with you since you brought it up."
"I know, Jack, but this is a good job opportunity. If I want a job teaching at a university, this would be my in," Dean explained, hoping his godfather would understand.
Jack ran his hands through his hair. "Daniel won't like it, Dean. Vala too. They want this to be a family vacation. Can't you postpone it for next semester? Your parents really want to spend time with you."
"I know, I know. But it's only for two weeks and we aren't leaving for Egypt for another three, there'll still be plenty of family time. Dad will understand and he'll stop mom from kidnapping me and making me stay home for that additional week. Jack, this is the only chance I have to prove to myself I can actually teach what I love."
Jack huffed in frustration. "Fine but what about me, huh? I was going with you guys. I was looking forward to going to Daniel's homeland with my family. I'm not as selfless as your parents. I'm old, Dean. I don't have that many years left for me, and what I have left I want to spend it with my pseudo-son/brother, his bizarre wife, and my awesome godson."
Dean dropped his head to hide his suddenly wet eyes. Shit. He didn't think about what it would cost Jack. "I'm sorry, Jack. I never considered what you wanted to do and how you'd feel about it. I won't take on any more guest lectures after this one. I'll call Doctor Visynak and tell her I'll only be able to speak this one time."
Jack hid his triumphant smile. Dean was too easy. "Great! I'll call your dad and tell him the trip is still on."
He watched his godfather saunter away, whistling. He got played. He got played good. Dean grinned ruefully. "That was mean, Jack."
"It worked, and I will play dirty to keep my family together for as long as I can. There will be no drifting apart in this family, you hear me, Winchester?"
"I hear you, Jack, I hear you."
"Good. Now call that woman and tell her she can only have you for two weeks. Go on. Shoo," Jack said. "I'm ordering out. What do you want to eat?"
"My usual," Dean replied as he got out his phone to call Doctor Visnyak.
"Okie dokie."
Dean smiled at his godfather. It was a debate amongst his family on who was actually older: Dean or Jack. Dad said Dean was older in so many ways than Jack, and mom said Jack only acted like a child until his family was in danger then look out, because Jack is one big bad mama bear. Woe to any who dared to hurt his family.
"Hello? Doctor Visnyak? Yeah, hey. This is Dean Winchester. I'm good. And you? That's good. Look, I was calling to tell you that I will only be able to do this one lecture. I have a family obligation coming up. No, I can't get out of it. Why? Because we planned this months in advance," Dean fibbed that last part. They actually only started planning this trip almost three weeks ago. "Look, you will still have me for the two weeks you requested, but after that I'll be gone for a week, maybe more. I don't know for sure. Yeah, but in the paperwork you gave me said the guest spot was only for two weeks. I am contractedly obligated to do those two weeks, any more and it's up for negotiation. No, I'm not playing hard to get. I don't have that big enough ego to pull such a thing. Yes, I will for sure be there next week, and yes, I will think about returning for the next semester. Okay, bye."
Dean hung up. That woman is annoying. He fell back against Jack's rather comfy couch and scrubbed his face with his hand.
"You alright, kiddo," Jack asked, concerned at his godson's tired demeanor.
"I'm fine. That woman needs to work on her trust issues though."
Jack laughed. "You'll handle her just fine. You put up with me and your dad when we get into our moods. She'll be a cake walk compared to us."
Dean looked up and smiled at his godfather. "I know. Everyone who is considered difficult by most, like Rodney McKay, will be easy compared to handling you two after all these years."
Jack gently cuffed Dean on the head. "I ordered from Lani's. It should be here in thirty minutes. Kick back and we'll watch some hockey."
"Sounds good to me." Dean toed off his shoes and propped his feet atop Jack's coffee table, and relaxed. His godfather bumped shoulders with him and he leaned into the touch. Jack didn't move from the contact, knowing whatever was bothering his godson must be pretty big if he was seeking comfort. The Air Force general rested his head against Dean's, and they remained so until the bell rang, signaling the arrival of their food.
"Go get it. I'm locked in position."
Dean huffed in laughter but got up and got the food. "That was a lame excuse, Jack."
"Whatever. It worked."
"Careful, Jack, you're showing your age," Dean teased as he placed the food on the coffee table. Jack turned down the volume on the TV before getting up and grabbing them a couple of beers. Dean nodded his head in thanks as he took a big bite of his burger. My god, they were delicious. Not as good as O'Malley's but they were definitely in the top five. Jack snorted at him and Dean ignored him. Nothing is going to distract him from his burger.
They ate in companionable silence, cheering and jeering respectively throughout the game. Before they knew it, eleven o'clock rolled around and Dean was pleasantly buzzed. He turned to his left and saw Jack zonked out, snoring like an avalanche. He had to stifle a giggle. He reached over and gave his godfather a shove. Jack shot up and slowly turned to glare at Dean once he realized there wasn't a threat in the vicinity.
"Go to bed, Jack."
"Ngh."
Dean laughed as his godfather staggered off to his room. He turned off the tv, set the alarm, and went to the guest bedroom to sleep. Tomorrow promised to be a busy day. He had to get everything ready for his two week absence. Jack would watch his place until he got back and check his mail periodically, seeing if there was anything urgent that needed payment or handled. Their usual routine was; Jack would open the mail, pay what needed paying and tell Dean what he payed and how much, and Dean would wire a money transfer to Jack's account. It worked for them. It was what Jack established with his father whenever they left for a dig.
Stanford here I come, Dean thought with a drunken giggle.
SPNDW
One would think with how often Dean would leave at a moment's notice, he'd be a pro at packing. Nope. He had to leave tomorrow for Stanford and he was still not packed. Jack had swung by a few times and casually commented that if he really didn't want to go, he could just call in and claim a family emergency popped up and he wouldn't be able to make it. Even his parents called and told him it's okay to say he changed his mind about the lecture.
He told them again and again, he still planned on going and that he was a procrastinator by nature, something none of them could disprove. There was one thing he would not admit to feeling, and that was nervousness. It would be his first lecture. He had attended many before, of course, but he never conducted one of his own. He had all his notes he needed, put the important ones on a thumb drive in a slideshow, and his, for lack of a better word, scrapbook of all the digs he's been on.
He was as ready as he can be. Now all he has to do is pack up all the clothes he'll need for two weeks, and decide on how nice he's going to dress up. Semi-casual? Dress shirt and coat with his dark blue jeans? Sounds good to him. He hated getting all gussied up.
A plan in mind, Dean felt way better and started packing for his trip tomorrow.
His dad called an hour after he finished packing and they talked for another hour, his mother stealing the phone from his dad every now and then interjecting little tidbits she thought Daniel may have left out. Dean listened to them bicker and let the feeling of warmth wash over him. He missed his parents so much. He missed his ohana. And he missed Steve. He missed the bastard that left him all those years ago. It's not like the Doctor. Steve was here with him on this plane, in this reality, and that made it so much worse. Over the years, he had debated whether or not to track down his wayward friend but he had chickened out at the last second every time.
Dean shook his head to dislodge the maudlin thoughts. He couldn't afford that right now.
Instead, he needed to focus on the here and now, just like his parents had taught him. The past had to stay in the past. What he has been waiting for has finally come, he had the opportunity to prove to himself that he could teach and that he could encourage others to find their passion and pursue it. His father instilled that into him, and Vala and Daniel took it from there.
Dean carefully went through his luggage to make sure he had everything for the next couple of weeks, once he was satisfied he climbed into bed, he had to leave at six tomorrow morning for his plane ride to California. He went to sleep with a prayer on his lips: Doctor, if you can hear me, please help me do a good job, and please don't let me make a fool of myself. With that, Dean fell into a restful sleep.
SPNDW
Well, fuck me, Dean thought as he stared at the lecture hall he would be using for the next two weeks. It was massive. Nerves once more took hold. I can do this. I can do this, Dean chanted to himself. He resisted the urge to call his dad and have him calm him down. The last time Dean was this nervous, he submitted some of his artwork at the local art show. There was nothing worse than having people see your work and judge it. His dad had pulled him into a one-armed hug and held him for a second, and Dean's nerves vanished. He took first at that art show and got a nice check for the art that his mom sold on his behalf.
Dean took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He did this ten times before he calmed down enough to hum Metallica under his breath to help keep his nerves under control, and he walked around the room, exploring his domain for the foreseeable future. Jesus, it was a big room. He can run six laps to make up one mile that is how huge this room is. Let's hope only a quarter of the room fills up, though realistically, he knew they wouldn't have given him such a ginormous room if there'd be a small class.
"Dean?"
He turned around to see Doctor Visnyak walking towards him. "Doctor Winchester," he corrected.
She frowned in annoyance but acquiesced. "Doctor Winchester, how are you finding your lecture hall?"
"Big."
She laughed and said, "We originally had you at a smaller venue but there was a surge of interest in the university, students from all majors asking about the class, and we just decided to move the class to our biggest lecture hall and made it open to any who were interested."
Well shit. "And when does my class start again?"
"In twenty minutes. Good luck, De-Doctor Winchester."
"Thanks," he said, ignoring Visnyak's slip.
Dean paced the lifted platform, measuring how many steps it would take to walk from end to end: 256. Wow. He turned to face the auditorium and stopped short. There was tall young man, maybe 20, 21, with floppy brown hair and hazel eyes. He looked familiar.
"Hey, I'm Doctor Dean Winchester, I'll be your guest lecturer for the next two weeks. Are you taking my class?" The young man stared at him intensely but nodded his head. A little put off, Dean continued, "What's your name and major?"
"I'm Sam. Sam Wesson. I'm majoring in Law."
The familiar feeling grew, and the kid's name niggled at him. "Wesson. Why does your name sound familiar? Have we met?" Dean moved to the edge of the platform, stopping right in front of the kid. Dean tilted his head to the left, then the right. He knew this kid and it was driving him nuts.
"You can say that."
"Hmm. Wesson. God, your name is bugging the crap out of me. Do your parents know my dad, his name is Daniel Jackson and my mom, Vala Mal Doran? Maybe they've met and that's how I know your name."
"That's not it."
Dean was starting to get annoyed. This kid was getting on his nerves. "Then how do I know you?"
"I'm from Lawrence."
Now Dean frowned in confusion, that wasn't what he asked, and that wasn't much of a hint. "Lawrence?"
"Yes."
Dean bit his lip as he ran through his memories; one of his baby brother crying as he held his hand, they both watched their father be lowered into the ground next to their mother, and it hit him. "Sammy," Dean breathed out in shock. Holy shit! "Wesson. Duh, the family who adopted you. Oh god. Damn, Sammy you grew up to be a giant."
Sam continued to stare at him intensely, and Dean fidgeted. "You kept your name," was all he said.
"Well, yeah. Dad, uh, Daniel gave me a choice whether or not to keep my name or take his. I kept it," Dean answered.
"I guess it's a good thing, huh. You wouldn't have risen up so far in the anthropological ranks if you had taken his last name. You would have become a laughing stock just like him."
Dean stared at his little brother in shock before reacting like he always reacted when someone insulted his dad. "Fuck you, Sam. My dad was right all along. There are people nowadays who literally kiss the ground he walks upon."
Sam scoffed. "Your 'dad' is a joke. I just overheard Doctor Visnyak slamming your precious father to her fellow staff members, but she held hope for you to not go down your 'father's' path."
Seething, Dean lashed out. "Oh, I'm so sorry for my dad taking a chance. He spent years in the right but not once has he crumbled under the snobbery and the closed-mindedness of the academic world, and changed his stance on his theory. What has your father done, huh?"
"My dad was a mechanic from Lawrence, Kansas who raised two young boys until the day he died. My adoptive father, on the other hand, runs a fortune five hundred company in New York." Dean jerked back like he's been slapped, and it pissed Sam off even more. "I've spent the past decade trying to get back to my family and you've been off gallivanting across the globe with your precious Doctor Jackson. I waited years for you to call, Dean. I wanted my family back and you just made one of your own without me in it. You know, it's good to know where I stand in your life." Sam turned to walk away and Dean watched him go.
Just as Sam got to the door, Dean jumped into action. "Sam, wait!"
"Why? I've clearly spent the past decade chasing a dream for nothing," Sam said bitterly, his voice cracking, and it was a punch in the gut for Dean.
"Look, Sam, I'm sorry. I thought if I broke off contact with you, you'd have more of a chance with your adoptive family, and you'd have more opportunities open for you. It was stupid but I honestly thought it was best for you."
"'Best for me'? You were a kid, Dean! What would you know about what's best for me? I needed you. I needed my big brother to tell me everything would be okay, and that dad was watching over us in heaven with mom. I needed you chase away the nightmares I had of dad -dying, and I needed you to fight the bullies in my school. You were all I had, Dean, and you just forgot about me, and moved on with your life."
"Fuck, Sam," Dean said in anguish. Had he really screwed up any potential relationship with his brother? "What do you want me to do? I'll do anything."
Sam stared at him, unshed tears in his eyes, and Dean wanted to kick his own ass. He hurt Sam, he hurt his baby brother, and he didn't know if he'd be able to fix it. "I don't think there's anything you can do, Dean. I-I honestly don't know."
"Okay. How about dinner? I can take you out and we can talk, or do whatever you want," Dean said desperately.
"Give me some time. You're good at that," and he turned and walked away. Dean was honestly getting sick of watching people walk away from him. He saw his birth mother walk away from him after she tucked him into bed, his father gently nudged him telling him to watch over his brother as he went out the door, the Doctor as he stepped into the TARDIS, Steve when he walked into the airport, his first love Cassie telling him they're over, and now -Sam as he dropped a bomb on him. They all left without looking back.
Dean closed his eyes until the urge to cry passed and he went back to preparing for his class. Doctor, help, he prayed. Fuck, everything is wrong. Didn't help the little ball of dread, he's thinking of naming it Todd, started to churn and he felt nauseous. What the hell is going on?
SPNDW
The two weeks passed quickly. Far too fast for his liking. During his lectures, Dean tried to catch Sam's eye but his baby brother ignored him but took studiousness to a whole new level. Sam jotted down any notes Dean put up on the projector, and only asked questions to pertaining to the subject. Any offer Dean gave Sam on going out for dinner or even to hang out, were rebuffed, not harshly but close.
He was leaving in two days and in a week he was going to Egypt with his family for a month, well, two weeks but knowing his family, it'll stretch out into a month. He tracked down Sam's number and address, and so far he's been able to stop himself from showing up at his brother's place and demanding they talk. That would only cement Sam's resentment and ruin any chance he has of forming some sort of relationship with him.
"Fuck it," Dean said and called Sam...and it went to voicemail. "Hey, Sam, it's me, Dean. We need to talk and it has to be either today or tomorrow. I have...I have a trip coming up and I'll be out of the country for a month. Just, call me back, Sam. We really need to talk."
Dean hung up and flopped onto his bed with a heavy sigh. He laid there for about fifteen minutes, his mind carefully blank, when the phone rang in his hand, startling the shit out of him, and he dropped the cell. "Shit," he cursed and scrambled to pick it up. "Hello?"
"Hey, you said you wanted to talk?" Sam!
"Yeah, do you think we can talk in person?"
A sigh crackled over the phone. "I guess. I'll come over to your place. Give me ten minutes."
"'kay, see you in ten." They hung up and Dean's stomach was doing the cha-cha. Or the rumba. Dean shook his head to dislodge the tangent before it even started. He needed his mind focused solely on Sam and their much needed, long overdue, talk. Dean looked around his hotel room and deemed it messy, he started to pick up the clothes that were strewn all around and put them in his bag, then he threw away any trash that missed the bin, and he tidied up the table he's been using as a desk. He carefully put the books away, and Dean had to snort at himself, all these years of living with Danie- with his dad has turned him into quite the bookworm. He sighed in frustration. One talk with Sam and his dad had been relegated back to Daniel, and the guilt he first had on calling Vala and Daniel his mom and dad came back full force.
There was nothing wrong with calling them their deserved titles, and yet Sam, in one sentence, made him feel guilty and ashamed. He hadn't forgotten his father, his parents wouldn't let him, but Sam seemed to think he did.
A knock on the door thankfully stopped whatever path his thoughts were taking him and he went to open the door, revealing his Sasquatch of a baby brother. "Hey."
"Hi."
Dean stepped back and gestured inside. "Come on in."
Sam nodded his head in thanks and stepped into the room. "This is where they set you up," Sam asked looking around, grudgingly impressed.
"Yep. Visnyak is quite the kiss ass. I think she's trying to ensure I come back next semester," Dean said with a smirk.
Sam turned around and looked at him funny. "You gonna come back?"
"I don't know," Dean admitted with a shrug. "I have a lot of offers from other archaeologists and institutes to consider. I might move closer to home or I might go back to the Middle East and make sure the artifacts they do have is safe or returned back to the museums. At this point, everything is up in the air."
Sam hmm'd noncommittally. "And where do you consider home," he asked in a disinterested tone, or what he thought was a disinterested tone. He missed by one astronomical unit, but Dean wasn't going to call him on it.
"Colorado."
Sam frowned in confusion. "Colorado? I thought you lived in D.C.?"
Dean's eyebrows shot to his hairline, Sam knew he lived in D.C., he did not see that coming, but he answered, "I do, but my family lives in Colorado. Me and Jack are considering moving back, though Jack says he might finally move to Minnesota like he always wanted. He's retiring this year."
"Who's Jack?"
Dean smiled at the thought of his godfather. "How does one describe General Jack O'Neill? Well, first off he's in the USAF, he's a kick ass team leader, loyal, stubborn, mischievous, a hockey fan, loves to fish but never catches anything, he's my dad's best friend and pseudo-father, and he's my godfather. What else? He's hates bureaucrats, loves long summer walks along the beach, and if you dare to hurt one of his family members, he'll tear you apart and make it look like an accident."
Sam blinked. "Wow."
Dean laughed. "Yeah, Jack is something else. Not only is he my godfather but he's also my best friend. He'd team up with me whenever I wanted to prank Dani- my dad." Christ, another slip up.
"He sounds cool," Sam gritted out. It looked like it pained him to admit that and Dean hid a smile.
"He is."
"Dean, what did you want to talk about? I'm pretty sure it wasn't to talk about how awesome your godfather is or how you have the perfect family."
"Whoa! That is not what I was talking about and you know it. You asked and I answered. I'm not going to lie or tone down anything."
"Fine, and I won't lie either or hold back."
"What and you haven't been doing that anyway?"
"Look, Dean, I came because you said we needed to talk, and Jess said if I didn't come and talk to you, she was going make me sleep on the couch until graduation."
Dean frowned. Jess? "I know I screwed up all those years ago by not keeping in contact, this time around I don't want to do that. We found each other after all these years and we relatively normal, happy, and healthy people. I want to know more about you, Sam. Like, why did you choose to go into law, or who Jess is and how did you two meet, or are you a massive geek despite your jockish build? I just want to get to know you, Sammy, and I know I have no right in asking for this, but we do have a second chance to become brothers again. Or at least friends. And I know you want that too. Why else would you take my class and know where I'm staying at or even where I'm currently living," Dean finished with a teasing grin, one that turned into a genuine smile when Sam gave a rueful smile back.
Sam paced the room as he tried to get his thoughts organized, he stopped by Dean's make-shift desk and picked up one of the books. "I used to make up stories of how you'd come find me and we'd run away someplace far away where no one can find us and take us from each other," Sam said, not looking up from the book he was holding, he didn't see Dean's wince. "They were always about you coming to get me and we'd be together again, be a family. Don't get me wrong, I love the Wesson's, but they're not my family, Dean, you are."
"Sam," Dean started to say but Sam talked over him.
"Not once though, did I ever imagine that you would choose your new family over me. That you would leave me there with a bunch of strangers, and completely forget about me. I guess I valued our little family more than you did. God, Dean," Sam burst out, his voice rising. "You, me, and dad, that's all we had for years and you just moved on to a more perfect family unit." Sam took deep breaths to calm himself down. He was hurt, angry, betrayed, confused, and desperate that his big brother would fight for him this time around.
"Sam, I-I don't know what to say," Dean said floundering. How can he fix this?
An uncomfortable silence surrounded them. Dean's thoughts were racing as he tried to find a way to salvage this conversation and Sam's heart was slowly breaking at his brother's continued muteness.
"Actually I know what I want to say." Sam looked up at Dean, waiting, a hopeful expression on his face. "I fucked up, and the only way I can redeem myself is by being the big brother you've been waiting for. Next week I'm going on a family trip to Egypt and I want you to come. My mom and dad won't mind, neither will Jack, Aunt Sam, and Uncle Teal'c. You're family after all. You're gonna have to pack for a month. We leave Wednesday."
Sam's jaw dropped. "Are you serious," he asked incredulously.
"Deadly."
"Wow."
Dean laughed and Sam hesitantly joined him. "Come on, bitch, let's go eat in celebration. What are you in the mood for? I'm buying."
Sam gave Dean a brilliant grin and he returned it ten-fold. "Shut up, jerk. There's a diner down the street that serves awesome burgers. I eat there from time to time in your honor. I know how much you love burgers and I'd eat one every Friday in memory of you."
"I'm touched, Sammy. I would eat salads and healthy shit whenever I missed you. Even though it's unnatural to eat rabbit food."
Sam laughed. "Shut up. It's good for you."
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
They bickered all the way down to the diner, both have never felt so happy in a long time. For Dean, it felt like he was missing a limb and now he feels complete, and for Sam he finally felt whole, the years without his brother faded into a distant memory.
Sam had his family back, he had a wonderful girlfriend who he planned on marrying one day with Dean as his best man, and he'd going to Egypt with his brother and his adoptive family for a whole month. There was still a lot they needed to talk about but for now, Sam was genuinely happy.
DWSPN
"Doctor, you're mad! You can't do this! What will Dean think? He'll never forgive you," River threatened desperately.
"I know that, River, but I won't be without him anymore. We both know this is my last regeneration, this is it for me, and I want Dean here. This is my last chance to get him back," the Doctor replied as he worked on the Pandorica.
"And what if you manage to bring him here but you're gone, erased from existence? That poor boy would be in a world that is not his own with no memories of who you are or why he feels so empty. And what about Amy and Rory? They'll have that niggling feeling that they've forgotten something for the rest of their lives. It won't be as bad as Dean's but it will affect them."
"They'll be fine, and Dean won't forget me. We're too connected for that to happen. Besides, I don't plan on bringing him here by himself."
"What do you mean? Doctor? What do you mean he won't be coming here by himself? What are you planning on doing?"
"Everything will be alright, River. Trust me," the Doctor said with a cheeky smile. He was confident he could pull it off.
River bit her lip. She watched the Doctor work on the Pandorica, Amy and Rory were off in the West Wing making sure the Dalek hasn't revived yet. "Please don't do this, Doctor. Dean wouldn't want this, you know that," she tried one last time to change his mind.
The Time Lord shook his head. "No. Dean told me a long time ago he would find a way to me, this is me helping him out. As for him being alone, he won't be. He'll have someone."
Oh, Doctor, she thought sadly. You have no idea what heartbreak you'll bring yourself.
"Please, Doctor, please don't do this," River pleaded. "If you bring him here, he will never forgive you. He's made a life for himself, one that doesn't involve putting it in danger every time he steps off the TARDIS or being torn away from his family. He's not a child anymore, Doctor! He will hate you if you go through with this."
The Doctor paused in his re-wiring of the Pandorica. "He wouldn't," the Doctor said hesitantly.
Sensing this, River pounced. "He will. You know he will. You abandoned him too many times for him to accept this willingly. He may have promised that he would make his way to you, but he was a child who saw his best friend hurt and he wanted to make you feel better. He was a child. You can't hold him to that promise."
"He-he will forgive me. I know he will, River. You don't know him like I do. Dean will want to be here with me," the Doctor said desperately. Dean will want to be here with me, he chanted to himself.
"Doctor..."
"No," the Doctor shouted. "I'm doing this, River. Dean will be here with me come morning. Take care of Amy and Rory for me."
"Dean is really worth your life, my life, Amy and Rory's life, and the Universe's very existence."
The Doctor looked up and made eye contact with the time traveler, and answered with absolute conviction, "Yes."
River closed her eyes. "You really love him, don't you?"
"With both my hearts."
"I'll be here when you need me, Doctor," was all she said, knowing there was no changing the Time Lord's mind.
The Doctor gave her a smile. "I know, River, I know. You'll love Dean. I promise." He gave her one last grin before going back to work. Tomorrow Dean will be back and he'll live out the rest of his life with his beloved human, and they'll go traveling just like he first promised.
Well, alrighty then. What'd you guys think? I finally introduced Sam! Let me tell you, this was harder than I thought. I have an older brother and I thought the fighting between the two would be easy to write...nope!
Oh, and a guest said Rory wasn't Scottish...my bad. I'll fix it later. Right now, all I want to do is get the story out and I'll re-write later. I'll flesh out the first couple of chapters...damn, they're short. Lol. And I FORGOT MARTHA! How could I?! I liked her. Not her fault she came after our beloved Rose. So keep in mind, when I re-write, you guys will be getting an extra chapter. Yay!
I'm thinking about writing a Stargate Atlantis/Hawaii Five-0 story with Sheppard and McGarrett. Should I do it?
I should have the twelfth chapter up by Thursday or Friday.
Ciao!