Hey guys! Here's the next chapter and I hope you guys like it. I think I may have gone a little bit overboard with the smoochp and sweetness in this chapter and I don't really have any excuse for it so let's just say that Sammy needed it. Also, Caleb is included a lot more in this chapter so I think some of you will be happy to see him back in the picture.

Anyways, thanks for waiting patiently for this and I will try to update ASAP. Thanks again for reading and I can't wait to hear from all of you! :)


Dean woke early the next morning and took a quick shower, trying to be as quiet as possible so as to not wake Sam. The kid had had a hard time falling asleep the night before and even after he finally had, it had been restless. Dean didn't want to take away from the few peaceful moments that he was getting these days, thinking screw the fact that it was a little after nine because honestly, it wasn't like the kid had anywhere he needed to be.

Wrapping a towel around his waist, Dean opened the bathroom door, a billow of steam following him out as he crossed the hall hearing the sounds of Bummer walking around downstairs in the kitchen. Dean quietly slipped into his and Sam's shared bedroom and over to his duffle bag on the floor by his bed. He still hadn't unpacked his duffle, used to living out of the canvas-bag whereas Sam had his clothes neatly piled and sorted in the dresser by his bed by the end of their first week at Jim's place.

Sparing his brother a quick glance, Dean sighed contentedly when he saw the gentle rise and fall of his brother's chest accompanied by the occasional snore letting him know that Sam was actually sleeping and not suffering for once which was a nice break from the night terrors he'd been getting for the last couple of weeks. As he continued to watch Sam, Dean noticed once again how Sam's face seemed fuller, his jaw line not so sharp and his cheeks a little pudgier. He realized that the kid had started to put on weight and would probably put on a lot more by the time he had the twins a little less than six months from now. Shit Dean thought. Has it only been three months? To Dean, and he was sure the rest of them felt this way too, it felt like they'd been stuck in this nightmarish situation for a lot, lot longer than three months.

Dean hadn't said anything about Sam's weight gain to anybody. He didn't want to draw attention to his brother's expanding waistline or upset him but he had noticed it increasingly more within the past week or so. Especially whenever it was just the two of them as Sam felt safe enough to wear just a t-shirt instead of hiding behind multiple layers making it possible for Dean to make out the start of his brother's rounded stomach. It was weird, really weird and yet fascinating in a disturbing kind of way to think that the reason why was because Sam had two living, breathing babies growing inside of him. While he no longer had the urge to run or barf whenever that thought crossed his mind, it was still not a pleasant topic or something he was thrilled about but giving Sam the shots, talking with Steven about Sam and the babies developments, and making sure Sam took his prenatal vitamins was starting to become just another, every-day thing he had to do and not some awkward challenge.

Dean was glad Sam was currently asleep as it gave him the chance to observe his brother without annoying the kid or being accused of hovering. He had to often remind himself not to stare at the unusual sight or let a small, brotherly joke about needing to exercise more slip out. It was strange to have to think about what he was going to say to Sam; worried something might accidentally set him off or he might accidentally hurt his brother's feelings… he missed the carefree banter but hoped that as time progressed, they would get back to some sense of normalcy.

Sighing, Dean shook himself out of his stupor and grabbed a pair of jeans that were hanging on the back of the desk chair, sniffing them to check for cleanliness. Deciding that they would do, he grabbed a gray t-shirt and a green button-up from his duffle bag as well. "I'll see you soon kid," He muttered as he started to walk towards the closed bedroom door. With his hand on the doorknob, he turned around and glanced at Sam again, a thought crossing his mind. Sighing again, he walked back to the desk by the window hoping that his idea would alleviate some of the worries he thought Sam might have when he woke and realized that Dean and the Impala were missing. Figuring that at least for the moment, he'd done all he could, Dean headed downstairs, his stomach rumbling as a rich smell permeated the air.

"Wow… I didn't expect to see you before ten… did you get dressed just for me?" Caleb smirked when Dean walked into the kitchen surprised to see Dean actually dressed in the morning for once and not just in a t-shirt and his sleeping pants.

"I've got a job interview." Dean explained as he took the kettle from Caleb and poured his own cup of steaming caffeine. He laughed a little at the look on Caleb's face; it was just as priceless as he thought it was going to be.

Caleb stared at Dean wide-eyed and tried hard not to choke on his English muffin. "I'm sorry… I thought I just heard Dean Winchester, the king of scams say he's got a job interview?" He sputtered.

Dean nodded. "No, your hearing's intact though I don't know how with all that crap you listen to…" He explained.

Caleb rolled his eyes at Dean's mention of his musical interest which included everything except hard metal rock. "Who the hell would hire you? What… you cleaning the stripper's pipes in town?"

Dean raised his hand, flipping Caleb off. "For your information, it's at the hardware store." He said before he realized that Caleb could also turn that into a dirty sentence. "Don't. Say. A. Word." Dean growled.

Caleb smiled and shrugged, raising his hands in self-defense. "But seriously, dude… that is so not right, you in a responsible, socially acceptable position… it's freaky." He teased.

"Yeah, we'll see whose laughing when the paychecks start coming in. Who knows, if you're nice, I might even treat you." Dean smirked.

"Really Dean, you'll take me out… oh, this is the best day of my life! No, no, no wait… I want a discount!" Caleb said sarcastically before he rolled his eyes. "We'll see how long you actually manage to last, I mean, you're going to have to do real work there, not just show up, hold up some fake card, and say you work there. Oh, and Dean…"

Dean paused from opening the front door. "Yeah?" He said trying not to give Caleb the satisfaction of knowing he was wearing on his nerves though Dean figured Caleb might have a clue. The guy was probably as close to a good friend as he got outside of his family and knew Caleb could read him fairly easily.

"Don't start off the day by flirting with anyone in a skirt, 'kay?" Caleb smiled, knowing his friend's habit of attracting attention.

He grinned, raising an eyebrow. "Unlike you, I don't have to pay a woman to sleep with me… there's actually a waiting list but I don't think you're going to be able to get on it." Dean laughed as Caleb stood there, his mouth slightly open at the thought that Dean had been able to come up with a comeback. "Bye…" He smiled and proceeded down the front steps.

~DW/SW~

Dean parked the Impala at the far end of the parking lot, not wanting any idiot to ding her up with plywood or something else and headed inside. "Hi…" Dean glanced at the woman's nametag. "Claire, I'm Dean Winchester and I've got an appointment with the manager… do you know where I can find him?" Dean asked as he flashed his most charming smile at her. She was after all, a potential co-worker.

"Oh, you're here for an interview?" She asked smiling back at the handsome stranger standing in front of her.

Dean nodded. "That's right."

"Just go to the back of the store and knock on the door that says manager, I think Tom's in there." She smiled as she blushed a little.

"'Kay, thanks a lot Claire. Hope to see you around more." He smiled one last time and then headed in the direction she'd pointed him in. Walking through the aisles of painting supplies and lighting fixtures, he made his way to the back of the store. Dean stopped in front of the old wooden door that said 'Manager' on it in peeling letters and knocked.

"It's open!" A man's deep, gruff voice called from inside the office.

Dean opened the door and walked into the tiny and cluttered office. "I'm Dean Winchester… I called the other day 'bout the interview." Dean introduced himself.

Tom nodded. "Take a seat."

~DW/SW~

Sam woke up slowly, glad that this time he got to linger in his sleep-induced coma instead of having the monster chasing him into waking for once. He could feel the start of his memories coming back to him and he clenched his eyes shut, hoping he could force them back for now. Sam rolled over on to his side, casually noticing that Dean's side of the bed was empty and sighed, stretching a bit. What time is it? He wondered knowing that lately he had been sleeping in quite a bit and expected it to be close to mid-morning. Instead, when he glanced at the clock, he saw that it was only a little after eight. What's he doing up this early? Sam asked himself knowing that it wasn't like his brother to be conscious before nine, even with at least two cups of strong coffee in him.

Unsure of what was going on downstairs or who was awake yet, he climbed out of bed and walked to the door, pressing his ear up against it. He could hear laughter and loud voices floating up the stairs but none of them belonged to his brother. Where is he? Sam chewed on his lip worriedly and then walked to the window that overlooked the front of Jim's house and his driveway. Hunh… the Impala's gone… did he leave me? Sam asked himself, his worry steadily increasing and tears began to prick his eyes. He didn't know how he was going to get through this if Dean had left… his big brother had been so supportive and willing to do some unconventional and uncomfortable things for him. Sam could hear his dad's booming voice and that helped to relax his worries a little but still, Dad wasn't Dean.

Suddenly he heard the stairs creak a little as someone climbed them so Sam quickly made his way back to his bed and hurried to bury himself underneath the covers. He lay down so that his back was to the door and shut his eyes as the door opened hoping that whoever it was would just go away. Sam internally cringed when he felt a hand on top of his head and then someone pulled the covers better over him, tucking him in a bit. A couple minutes later, he let out a relieved sigh when the hand receded even if the action was familiar and soothing. Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes and slowly made their way down his cheeks, the faint feeling of fingers combing through his hair still lingering. He could remember being a small child and pretending to be asleep just so his dad could come and 'tuck him in' after he got home from a 'business trip' as Dean had called them. His dad would walk into their room, adjust the thin motel covers over him better and ruffle his hair a little. Sam sniffled and wiped a hand across his face trying to get used to seeing this sensitive side to his dad again and wondered just what had happened to the hardened widower.

Sam waited until he heard the door shut and his dad's heavy footsteps retreat before rolling over to lie on his back. He wiped his eyes again and turned his head to the side seeing the tin-foil covered plate on his nightstand. It smelled delicious and his stomach grumbled even as his mind conjured up some not-so-nice explanations for his impromptu breakfast-in-bed. They don't want me down there with them… he thought thinking back to the loud, and somewhat cheerful, voices he'd heard a few minutes before his dad had delivered Sam's breakfast. I guess I can understand it. They're always so careful around me now… maybe they just wanted to have a normal breakfast for once Sam concluded as another thought hit him. If Dean's not here, then who's going to give me my shot?

~DW/SW~

John walked down the stairs feeling empty and a bit disheartened having hoped for a better reaction from Sam. He had known that Sam was awake but played along, not wanting to force his son to see him if he didn't want to, no matter how much it stung.

"He's still asleep?" Caleb asked walking over and taking the chair across from John at the kitchen table.

John nodded, but then shook his head no. "No, not really… I don't really think he wanted to see me." He explained.

"He knows you love him." Caleb said surprising John. He didn't think that the young man was that perceptive – or that sensitive.

John shook his head again. "He… he won't look at me or talk to me… I told him it's not his fault, why can't he see that?" John asked with sadness and desperation in his voice. "Why can't he see that I don't blame him for this? I'm his father for God's sake Caleb. He should know that I'm going to love him no matter what."

Caleb sighed. "He does know that you love him John, I mean this is Sam we're talking about… the kid couldn't, wouldn't hurt a fly let alone not love his own family but think about it… and I'm not saying you're wrong or were a bad parent but he's been trained his entire life to be on guard, to not let anyone get through his defenses, now that someone has… look, just… just give him time okay and whatever you do, just be there for him… be his father no matter how hard he tries to push you away." Caleb said, finishing his little speech.

~DW/SW~

"Oh hey Sam," Caleb said walking into the kitchen surprised to the young teen standing at the sink.

Sam took a breath trying to calm his racing heart. He hated how someone's sudden appearance could make him feel so small and vulnerable. I'm weak but I'm not that weak Sam tried to tell himself. "Ah hey Caleb…" He drifted off continuing to do the dishes. He had figured that if nobody was going to go up there and ask him to join them, then he would just have to invite himself. Yup, you're the life of the party scrubbing dishes Sam sighed and placed the bowl in the drying rack. "Have you um… do you ah… do you know where Dean is?" Sam asked hesitantly, keeping his back to Caleb.

Caleb stood by the window watching the way Sam's muscles clenched, even through the sweatshirt he was wearing. Kid's gotta be sweating up a storm… it's like ninety degrees out Caleb thought. "Yeah, I saw him this morning. He said he had a job interview." Caleb explained.

Sam turned around again and stared at Caleb. "A job interview… what… what made him do that?" Sam asked sounding bewildered.

Caleb was quiet. "He wants to make sure he can take care of you and… and buy them everything they're gonna need." He said. Even though he'd given Dean a hard time about going for the job interview, he silently respected him for that. It was blatantly obvious to anyone who took even a second to watch Dean and Sam that Dean would do quite literally anything for his brother. Caleb had been watching that play out for the past nineteen years.

"He shouldn't have to though… I should be able to take care of myself." Sam said quietly.

"You can take care of yourself… nobody's saying you can't. It's just that babies are well, expensive, and I don't think a credit card or hustling pool is gonna cut it this time and Dean knows that so he's just making sure that we'll have a way to get everything, that's all." Caleb explained.

"I don't even know if I want to keep them… I don't get it." He sighed.

"Don't get what?" Caleb asked intrigued. He knew the kid had been keeping his lips sealed pretty tightly and was happy to see him talking a little. He remembered how silent Dean used to be and was glad that Sam apparently didn't react to trauma the same way his older brother did.

"How are all of you so okay with this?" Sam asked looking up at Caleb. "I mean, doesn't it freak you out? And what about the fact that I've pretty much made Dean and dad give up what they like to do? God… I'm such fucking, useless piece of shit 'round here." Sam complained, anger and hurt written across his face but Caleb could see that Sam also wanted him to tell him it wasn't true.

"Sammy, no," Caleb sighed. "No, you're not useless and I mean yeah sure, it's a little freaky but I think that most people would consider anything in any one of our lives freaky… we hunt demons for a living… freaky is normal."

Sam nodded. "Yeah maybe." He still sounded pretty down.

"I know you don't remember this but Sam... after the fire and your mom died, you were the one that kept Dean and your dad going, but especially Dean." He said making Sam look at him with a confused face. "Dean didn't do much, he didn't speak or take care of himself at all, not that that was really all that surprising but you know what he did do?" Caleb asked.

Sam shook his head, tears gathering in his eyes.

"He took care of you. You were pretty much the only person he responded to, at least in the beginning. When you cried… he'd react so fast and way more competently than any four year old should but he fed you when you were hungry, rocked you when you cried, changed you, rather messily, when you needed your diaper changed…" Caleb explained seeing the tears start to form in Sam's eyes. He also spotted Dean standing in the entry way to the living room and signaled silently for him to stay back. "Sure, I was the one who was able to get him to eat and do that kind of crap but that was more like forcing stuff down his throat whereas when he was with you… it was like he wanted to do it, he was doing something he enjoyed."

"It was a sacrifice though… he was four years old, he shouldn't have had to change my diaper or do any of that." Sam argued.

"Yeah but it wasn't to him. Sam, he wouldn't let anyone else do it including your dad and on the off occasion that someone else did rock or feed you or change you, he was standing right next to them the entire time glaring until they handed you back." Caleb smiled sadly at the memory of a little four year old who didn't speak but let everybody know that Sammy was 'his' baby to take care of.

"It's not a sacrifice if you're doing it for someone you love." Dean said walking over from his hiding spot in the hall and joining the emotional conversation.

Sam turned around and wiped his eyes on his sleeve.

Dean walked over and kneeled in front of Sam. "You're not a burden Sam..." Dean bit his lip and turned his head away as tears filled his eyes. Slowly, he turned back around to face Sam and smiled up at him. "You were the last birthday gift mom ever gave me." He said before the tears started to trickle down his cheeks.

Sam stared at his brother in shock. Dean never talked about their mom, never! It was just something that didn't happen, ever! And to hear him talk about her and see Dean begin to cry, openly, when usually he would have raced out to the Impala and driven away until his wall came back up made Sam lose it. His face twisted and before he knew it, he had his face buried in Dean's shoulder, harsh sobs racking his body.

Dean sniffled and wrapped his arms tight around his brother's middle. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me kid, don't ever think you're not worth enough to me, you got that?" Dean asked his voice rough as he tried to get a better handle on his emotions.

Sam nodded and closed his eyes, letting Caleb's and his brother's words reassure him that he was a needed part of this family and not just some obligation they were forced into.

~DW/SW~

Sam lay in the bed with his head on Dean's chest as he tried to fall asleep. Sam's nightmares were a nightly occurrence now and the only thing that could calm him down afterward was the security he felt of having Dean's arms wrapped around him so the two of them had taken to sharing a bed. It was their secret though. Sam was scared that their dad and the others would be mad at his weakness, no matter what Dean told him, so he had made Dean promise not to mention his lack of sleep to anybody.

Sam shifted and slipped one of his hands underneath his head. "Dean?" Sam asked.

"Yeah?" Dean responded quietly.

"So um… how ah, how did the interview go?" Sam asked hesitantly.

Dean sat up a little, a confused look on his face. "You know about that?" Dean asked. He had simply said he was going out in his note, not the details of it.

"Ah yeah, why… was I not supposed to?" Sam questioned nervously.

"What no, no… I just didn't think you knew that's all." Dean answered. "Caleb told you, didn't he?"

Sam nodded. "I got worried." He said meekly.

"Worried, why?" Dean asked surprised. He'd thought his note would have been enough to reassure his brother.

"I woke up and you weren't here and the Impala was gone so I just kind of thought you'd um… you'd taken off." Sam explained.

Dean sighed and tightened his grip on his brother. "Have I ever left you behind… ever? Just vanished without telling you where I was going or when I would be back?" He asked.

Sam shook his head. "Sorry." He muttered.

"It's okay… just don't go giving up on your navigator job yet, okay?" Dean smirked, giving his brother a little squeeze.

"If you say so…" Sam drifted off and there was a small semblance of companionable silence between the two. "Hey Dean?" Sam asked.

Dean internally groaned. "Yes Sam." He said, forcing as much patience into his voice as possible.

"How could I be a birthday present to you when I was born five months after your birthday?" He asked curiously.

Dean groaned and rolled over onto his back. He didn't know what had happened to reduce him to have such an incredibly large and sappy chick-flick moment with his brother earlier and now, this was the repercussions from it, he guessed. "I kept asking mom and dad for a puppy or a little brother. I told them I would let them choose so long as I got one of those two things so when mom told me that I was getting a little brother, I asked if ah… god, you're gonna kill me for this…" He groaned again.

"What… what did you do?" Sam asked with a small smile on his face as he lay on his side like Steven had instructed him to do and looked over at his big brother.

Dean was glad the room was dark and Sam couldn't see how badly he was blushing. "I ah… I asked mom if I could go pick him, er you, out on my birthday." Dean heard Sam laugh and lightly swatted his brother on the arm. "I was four, leave me alone!" He pouted.

"Okay… okay, sorry I laughed… continue please?" Sam practically begged, flashing his well-known puppy eyes at his big brother even though he was fairly certain Dean wasn't able to see them.

"I thought it was like when you go to the pet store or some shitty place like that and get a puppy… you pick out the one you want and then you get to take that one home… I didn't know bratty little brothers were any different." He huffed. "Anyways," He sighed a couple minutes later. "Mom told me that you weren't going to be ready on my birthday, that I was going to have to wait just a little longer and then I'd get to take you home. So for the next couple of months I walked around telling people that my birthday present hadn't come yet and was still being 'made'… god, this so embarrassing Sam… I swear, you tell that story to anyone and I'll kick your ass, little brother!" He mock-threatened.

"My lips are sealed Dean, I promise nobody will ever know about you thinking babies came from the same place as puppies." Sam teased letting out another little laugh.

Dean shook his head and huffed.

"Wait… so what about the interview, how'd it go?" Sam asked causing Dean to let out a weary sigh.

"Let's put it this way, I start Monday." He said. "Now, bedtime."

Sam nodded and settled down against his big brother wondering how he was going to spend the day if Dean was going to be at work.


Hey! So how was that? I hope the chapter was enjoyable and that you'll let me know what you thought of it. Thanks again for reading and I'll try to update soon. :)