A/N; as always thanks to the few who review, i am eternally grateful, keep 'em coming...tell me what you think, any requests etc...

and those of you readers who can't be bothered to review...that is mean *pouts* its a bit like siding with alistair over dean, i know that's blasphemous but thats why i'm using that analogy so review if you love dean over alistair....

Chapter 12 –

'Dean, wait…' Sam followed Dean up the stairs to their room.

Dean barged into the room, looking like someone had crashed his Impala. Lara saw the look of hurt and anger on his face and cringed. What was wrong now? She saw Sam following Dean into the room. She hid her face in the covers. She wasn't ready for what she believed they were there for. Dean sat down on the bed beside her. Leaning against the headboard, he bent one of his legs under the other. She could feel his body heat radiating off him. It was comforting somehow to feel him so close to her. She felt safe. Sam sat on his own bed which was adjacent to theirs.

'Lara, we need to talk to you. Is that okay, baby?' Dean saw Sam's smile from the corner of his eye but he didn't care. If his losing all his male pride and having a massive chick flick moment in front of Sam was going to convince her that he loved her then he was prepared to do just that.

Sam couldn't hide his amusement at Dean's behaviour. Usually, Dean would swear on his favourite pie that he wasn't the emotional type. Going as far as to say he hated the chick flick moments as he called them. Sam knew he rarely ever showed his real emotions or allowed anyone to see him when he felt vulnerable. Sam was also aware of the fact that he was one of a few select, if not the only one, who had seen Dean when he was emotional. Dean was constantly on his case for being sensitive, although he himself was sensitive because making fun of Sam helped him cover up his own softer side. However, it amazed Sam how, when his big brother thought his family was hurting then he always forgot about his reputation and dove straight into the chick flick moments.

'Lara?' Dean tried to get the cover off her face. She squirmed and shook his hand off her, remaining hidden under her covers. But he could see the top half of her head over the covers. He leaned in and placed a kiss there, on her cover-less head. She finally lowered the covers cautiously.

Dean saw her tear-stained face, her big brown eyes still shimmering. His heart constricted at the sight. Wiping the tears off her face with his bare hands, he smiled at her lovingly. 'Why are you crying? Didn't I tell you that you didn't need to cry anymore?' She nodded. The haunted look in her eyes killed him. She looked so hurt. It was almost as though her pain was coming off her in waves.

Sam grabbed hold of his sister's hand as he sat down beside her, opposite of Dean, on their bed. 'Lara, you know you can talk to us. We're your brothers. Just tell us what's wrong.' Sam drew circles on the back of her hand with his thumb.

She shook her head stubbornly. 'Please kiddo.' Sam gave her a warm smile.

Lara hoped she wasn't going to regret baring her soul to her brothers. She looked at their expectant faces with their smiles and she didn't know why but she felt safe. In that moment, she felt her new brothers could take her pain away. 'I know you didn't ask for me to be born, it's not your fault so it's okay if you don't love me. But my mum and dad, they made me and they still…why didn't they love me? I didn't do anything wrong. If someone had asked me before my birth I would have said no to being born. I have wished for my death for so long now. But instead mommy and daddy are dead. It's all my fault. I'm just a burden.' She said in one breath, fresh tears falling down her cheeks. She let out a deep sigh of resignation. She felt tired. She just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry herself to sleep.

The brothers exchanged horrified glances. Dean cleared his throat from the lump that was fast forming there and blinked rapidly to make sure he didn't tear up. 'Lara, your mum and dad did love you. They just didn't know how to show it. You are not a burden, i don't want to ever hear you say that. And what's this, you wishing you were dead...how dare you even think of such a stupid thing...I don't want you to wish that ever again.' The conversation was serious and it was about something that hurt his baby, Dean knew he couldn't diffuse the tension by making jokes it would be hurtful to her so he instead talked.

'But mommy said she didn't ever love me and she never would. And dad never stayed when I was around. He hardly ever said hi to me. He only spoke to me once, to give me a knife…I realised he was trying to tell me to use it for…I'm such a coward.' She stopped when she saw the freaked-out looks on her brothers' faces. Great, now they would know about the suicidal tendencies. She had only been trying to point out her reasons for why she believed that no one loved her.

'I don't know about anyone else Lara but I love you.' Sam squeezed her hand, reassuringly. He gave an obvious look to Dean, hoping his dumbass of a brother would take the hint and agree with what he had just said.

'I love you too, Sam. You don't know how grateful I am to you two for not handing me over to the authorities. I couldn't live…' Lara said and then looked up to meet her eldest brother's emerald eyes. She wanted his love and approval more than anything in the world. But he didn't say anything, which broke her heart.

'I…I…' Dean stammered, feeling his sibling's heated gaze on him. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her but Sam was watching. He already felt vulnerable and exposed; he didn't need Sam teasing him even more about chick flick moments. If he said something like that then Sam would never let him live it down. He settled with, 'Don't trust the system.'

'Lara, Dean just doesn't like anyone knowing how he really feels. Believe me, he's been my brother for 26 years now but I've rarely heard him say I love you to anyone. He's just emotionally repressed and retarded.' Sam smiled cheekily.

Dean flung a pillow in his direction. 'Hey, dude…its true.' Sam said, bitch face firmly in place as he threw the pillow back. He saw Lara's lips twitch at their antics, which in turn made him smile. 'I'm going to go see what's Bobby up to.' Sam sensed that his brother wasn't finished with his talk so he didn't ask him to join him. Sam leant down and kissed Lara on the cheek before leaving.

When Dean was sure Sam was really gone, he lifted Lara's head gently, placed it in his lap and started stroking her hair. 'Lara?'

She sighed. The head massage was making her sleepy. 'Mmm…' She had her eyes shut.

'I couldn't say it in front of Sam because…you know…but I want you to know something.' He hesitated a little when she opened her eyes and shifted so she could look at him properly.

'What?' She saw her brother look around the room, scratching the back of his neck. Was Dean shy? She couldn't believe it. He looked cute like a little shy kid.

'I don't care if no one else ever loved you because you don't need love of those awful people anyway.' He saw her eyes water and realised his mistake. 'What I mean to say is, I love you and everyone else who can't see how special you are, they can go to hell. You're my baby…' Before he could finish what he wanted to say, he felt her suddenly jolt upright and wrap her arms around him in a tight hug.

'I love you too, Dean. Please never leave me.' She said, not letting go.

'Never.' Dean felt a sudden rush of love and protectiveness towards his little sister.

'Promise?' She asked pleadingly.

'Promise.' He kissed her on her head. 'You look tired. Go to sleep.'

On cue, she yawned. 'Okay. Can you lie down with me until I fall asleep?' She asked, pouting.

He nodded. How could anyone say no to that look? He had no chance when she pouted. Something told him that she was trying to make up for the lack of love she had felt all her life so he obliged.

Lara rested her head on her brother's chest, her favourite pillow and shut her eyes. She felt his strong arm drape around her and sighed contently. No monsters could ever hurt her if she was with her brothers and they had now told her they loved her so they wouldn't leave her alone somewhere.

Dean watched her sleeping. She was sound asleep, had been for quite a while. He didn't know how long he had been watching her when he too fell asleep. He woke up to the sound of the door opening. He grudgingly decided it was time to get up. He opened his eyes to see Sam standing in the room facing them.

'Hey, dinner's ready. Bobby said to get you two. God, you two are such sleepy-heads.' Sam rolled his eyes.

'Sure.' Dean replied sarcastically. 'I'm gonna use the bathroom; you wake Lara up.' He said, before going into the bathroom.

'Lara…Lara…wake up.' Sam shook her gently.

'What?' She whined.

'Wake up, kiddo. Dinner's ready.' Sam huffed, crossing his arms on his chest.

Lara couldn't help the giggle that escaped her at Sam exasperated look. He glared at her. 'Right, I'm getting up. What time is it?' She untangled herself from the sheets.

'Six in the evening. I'm helping Bobby so I better go. He'll have my ass if he thinks I meant to take my time.' Worry came over Sam's features at the prospect of Bobby's wrath.

'I'll be down in a minute, just need to use the bathroom.' She said, trudging over to it. Her hand was on the doorknob when Sam rushed towards her and stopped her with a 'no', said rather loudly.

'What?' She was confused. Her brain was still half-sleep. She seriously needed to wash her face with cold water.

'Dean's in there. He just woke up too.' Sam breathed out.

'Doesn't he lock the door? He was asleep?' She inquired.

'Sometimes, to the first question and Yeah, to the second.' Sam looked behind as if expecting Bobby to materialise any minute demanding why he was still upstairs.

'I told him to stay with me until I fell asleep. I guess he must've been tired…' Lara shrugged.

'Yeah, he seems to be sleeping better since you share with him.' Sam muttered.

'What do you mean?' She was curious. She wanted to know everything about her brothers and any information she got she happily cherished.

'Since hell, he's been having nightmares. He didn't say anything but he couldn't sleep. I think now he's sleeping better, so he's just trying to catch up.' Sam said.

In that instant, Bobby's shouts could be heard in the bedroom. Making Sam jump and run out. Dean walked out, still yawning. He smiled at her. 'So, ready to go down? Were you waiting for me? Awww…' He put his arm around her shoulder.

'Need to go bathroom.' She got out of his half embrace, and headed to the bathroom.

'Want me to wait for you?' Dean shouted just before she locked the door.

'No, I'm fine.'

'Okay. Don't take too long or else I'll send Sammy up to get you.' She heard his muffled voice and rolled her eyes. Seriously, Dean gave protectiveness a whole new meaning.