Weeks passed by much like a plane does to the human eye. One minute you can track the seemingly slow object, watch as it trails across the infinite sky, but it's gone in only two. Each day was a new one, presenting new challenges and new conversations, but it passed by quickly and unbelievably so. And soon, the youngest Winchester was allowed out of the confining hospital, back into his life, a new one with his brother beside him.

And while it had been weeks-nine to be exact- the brothers and their pseudo father had made no further progress on John. No hunters had made contact with the man and no hunts had been mysteriously done. John Winchester had officially dropped off the map and into a new world where no one could find him. This knowledge was festering on the Winchesters. Dean wanted blood. Sam wanted nothing to do with John.

So they hunted. Dean learned that vampires were real, that they truly had a second set of teeth that extended and would rip and tear into the sinew of muscles and tendons. The scar on his collarbone proved it. But he also knew what it looked like to see his giant of a brother clear the head of said vampire right off the neck, watch as blood spurted onto himself and freckled, and watched with a dark fascination as Sam smirked as he did it.

One day, Dean asked about a djinn hunt. He had gathered his own research (who says that the eldest Winchester can't research?) and was practically gnawing at the bit. He wanted this hunt badly, only for the reason that it, too, was new to him. Bobby nodded, glancing as Sam hardened his gaze and strutted away. He had only disappeared for minutes, but he agreed to the hunt and swung them into action.

"A djinn," Dean murmured dreamily (pun completely intended) and rolled his head to face Sam. They had been in their motel for hours, waiting for the opportune time, but the young man had not once seen his brother relaxed, excited, or even remotely emotional about the hunt. Sam was quiet. "Sammy," he tried to catch his brother's attention, but he was set on looking out onto the dull street of the town in a back mountain area in Colorado. Damn things loved cave dwellings and the Rockies offered many places for it. "Sam. Sammy? SAM."

His brother huffed, fingers tightening around the tumbler of golden alcohol, before turning away from his post to face him. "What?"

Dean momentarily thought about teasing his sibling. He was cranky (well, crankier than usual) and he wanted to raise his spirits. Yet, as the words played on his tongue, something told him he shouldn't mess around. Sam obviously was taking this hunt more seriously than the others and that spoke levels to the eldest. "When are we leaving?"

Sam knew it wasn't the original reason he was called for. They knew that once the clock strikes 6, an hour before the sun would begin to set, they would be on their feet in some cave searching out the bastard. So, he relayed the information again and watched as Dean sighed heavily, bored. "You want some," he shook his glass, the liquid sloshing with just enough noise to pique interest.

"Nah," Dean had barely touched alcohol since returning to the hunting lifestyle. There was no real reason, he just hadn't needed it like Bobby and Sam did. He didn't blame the hunters, knowing that they harbored gorier and hellish memories, but he wished that wasn't the case. "Don't you go getting drunk on me."

Sam let out a bitter laugh, bristling anger pressing against his chest and pulsing in his head. DIdn't matter if he was drunk, although he was never going to be on a hunt with Dean. Even if this particular djinn was of a lower class and wouldn't be too hard, it was a djinn. And he never wanted to go back to those lucid like dream-nightmares it sucked him in the first time. "Don't worry big brother," he downed the rest, relishing the burn. "I could still kick the djinn's ass and yours for that matter."

And then six came around. Sam entrusted Dean with carrying the silver knife coated in lamb's blood, wanting Dean to feel the success of killing a monster, as he carried a duffle bag he would stuff somewhere in case there was an emergency. Dean thought it was smart, Sam knew it could be needed. Desperately needed.

Eventually, the cave ended and so did the djinn. The four woman it had taken were dead and lost within their swirls of dreams and violence, and Sam couldn't help but feel bad for the souls that were stuck reliving it every day and every night. He shrugged it off, mentally calculating how injured Dean was when he was tossed around. A sprained ankle with how he carried himself, bruised ribs with the too gentle intakes of air, and some scratches that would sting under the antiseptic he would liberally apply, but his brother was fine.

"So that's what a djinn's like," Dean arched an eyebrow, taking in Sam's grim face. "Not so genie like to me," he scoffed and toed the dirt in the cave.

"Won't be getting your three wishes," Sam nodded, struggling to lift his lips into a smile. "Let's get out of here," he lit the three victims bodies on fire, wishing them peace and rest, as they made their way down the mountain side. Silence overtook them, nothing but the wind howling and moon singing, before Dean broke it.

"Why did he say he was expecting you, Sammy?"

Sam froze mid-step, actually stumbling and barely catching himself in time, as Dean asked for clarification. At first, Sam had no idea what the djinn meant, until he realized it knew him. It was there that night he was captured and managed to escape from the vengeful and protective Caleb. Dean didn't need to know this.

"What can I say, Dean," he continued along the rocky path. "I'm so bad ass, even cave dwellers know of me."

The tactic was recognized, challenged, then given into as Dean fell into the comfortable silence that brother's could share. They clambered into Baby, the first time they had taken her instead of Lexie, and made their way back to the motel to celebrate their success and to do minor patch up work.

Sam was grateful for 'hunter's helper' as he slammed back another shot of it. Dean was sipping on his beer, watching with a grim fascination. Sam had to have been drunk now, seeing that it was his seventh shot within the two hours of getting back. Yet, he seemed to remain sober, eyes clear and speech impeccable.

"I was 16," Sam began out of nowhere. And that shocked the hell out of the owner of the vocal box. He didn't intend to share the story or dwell in the past, but his tongue felt like it apparently. "John sent me on my own hunts. Small ones, big ones. Any hunt and I was there," Dean leaned forward on his bed, watching as Sam's eyes got lost into his past and was thankful that his lips continued to spill out the hidden memory. "I think it was August. It was hot and awkward, but it was beautiful. The leaves were just turning colors and I got distracted. Djinn got the drop on me. Strung me up and fed on me for days up in that cave of hers," Sam's throat bobbed and so did Dean's. "I managed, somehow, to wake up as Caleb came running in. I got free as soon as Caleb was dropped and…. I killed the djinn. I shouldn't have been able to," Sam looked over at Dean to relay how true his statement was. "I shouldn't have been able to even move. But I killed her. And I left one alive because I was too weak to finish the job and too stupid to know that there was two," tears gathered in Dean's eyes and he cussed under his breath. Tired of tears and weakness and fucking John. "And that's what he meant he was expecting me, Dean. I knew him. And he knew me. Intimately."

And Sam got why he was spilling the truth over willing lips, describing how awful his life was to his elder brother. He got why he still wasn't drunk or that Dean would take in every story he told like a man starving.

"Ignorance is bliss," his eyes sharpened as he looked at Dean. Dean had seen his brother's intense looks before, so it was no shock, but the eldest knew that this was important. To take mental notes on. "Revel in it, brother."

And Dean stopped asking so many questions.

And they hunted some more big bad's and fuglies.

Until they quite literally stumbled over who they were looking for.

OH MY GOSH GUYS. It's been so long since I have updated. I am so sorry. I have no real excuses to give other than utter laziness and lack of imagination. But here it is! Not my favorite chapter in the world, but I had NO idea how I was gonna speed up to getting to John without it seeming like it was too easy of the boys. I hope you enjoyed though. Also, I totally misspelled BonanzaRocks name last post. I KNOW HOW TO READ I SWEAR. Spelling though? Not my forte. Sorry, darling. I love you all and thank you for the wonderful reviews. It warms me up. Alright, enough of me. I've got some serious typing to do for the next chapters. HERE WE COME JOHNNY BOY. xoxo K.