Daddy was sad. Daddy was always sad, but it wasn't the normal kind, the kind like Dean got when he thought about Mommy and her red on the roof. This was a real sad kind and Daddy kept looking at him like something bad was gonna happen. Dean snuck peaks at Sammy in his carrier to make sure that he was okay cause the last time Daddy got real sad like this was when something bad happened to him. This time, though, Dean was going to be there to make sure Sammy was okay and then maybe Daddy wouldn't be real sad, just the regular kind like normal.

The car rumbled loud when they drove on the highway just like Sammy liked it. Dean kind of liked it too even though it made him shake cause the car was too bumpy. Sammy was asleep for a long time in the car. He was awake all night and needed extra sleep. That's what Daddy said. Dean thought that maybe even though Sammy was little that he had bad dreams cause he woke up to cry sometimes just like Dean. But that was okay. Dean was there to make sure Sammy was better, like Daddy was for Dean when he had a bad dream.

Maybe that was why Daddy was real sad. Maybe he thought Sammy had real bad dreams last night cause he was loud enough to wake up Daddy. Normally, he was only loud enough to wake up Dean.

Real sadness explained, Dean sat back in his car seat and watched the blur of cars pass by the windows. Even when Daddy drove real fast, sometimes the other cars would be even faster. Dean wasn't scared of them, though. He thought they looked cool, especially the old ones. There were other things to be scare about than fast cars.

Then Daddy came off the highway, and that was weird cause Daddy never came off the highway unless Sammy was fussy or it was dark outside. Daddy liked to drive lots and lots all the time. Maybe this was like the time with the lady… Miss –Miss –Miss… the lady who talked lots. He liked her. Maybe they were gonna go see her again. Dean hoped so even though it made Daddy act funny for days and days before he was the same again.

But then Daddy stopped in a parking lot and Dean was sad again cause they weren't seeing the Miss lady. He wasn't the real sad like Daddy, though, but the normal kind. Then he looked up and saw where they were: Rinascita Pizzeria. He didn't know what the first word was, but the second said pizza and that was enough to have his tummy growling. Dean licked his lips, wanting to jump out of the car and run inside, but he had to wait for Daddy to open the door for him. Besides, he wouldn't leave Sammy. He was supposed to take care of Sammy and that meant no leaving.

There wasn't lots of people inside and that meant that their pizza would be faster. Sure enough, they brought him a big slice, bigger than he'd ever eaten before, and set it down right in front of him. It looked so yummy that he dug in. He knew he was making a big mess, but it tasted better than it looked and he couldn't help it if the sauce was lots and it got everywhere when he bit. Dean looked down at Sammy, but Sammy didn't get pizza cause he was still a baby and he was sleeping. Dean couldn't wait for Sammy to get bigger so he could eat pizza. It was awesome.

Dean looked at Daddy, wanting to ask him a question, ask him why he didn't have any pizza, but questions were bad, Mommy had said so. Well, she didn't said so, but Dean knew that they were bad cause when he asked things sometimes she would get mad. Mommy wasn't here anymore, but Daddy probably didn't like questions either and Dean needed to listen anyway to make sure he didn't miss something, so he didn't ask.

Besides, Daddy could get pizza if he wanted some. When Daddies were real sad, maybe they didn't like pizza. But Dean thought that was stupid cause everybody liked pizza so that had to be wrong. Maybe Daddy was lying to him and he wanted pizza but they just didn't have any for him too. Dean got sad again thinking like that and that made him not pay attention like he was supposed to. He didn't notice that Daddy was sitting too still or that things stopped moving around him until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey."

A man kneeled next to him, kept looking at him all over like Daddy did sometimes when he thought Dean might have got hurt. Dean wasn't hurt, but he didn't want to say so. Daddy said never to talk to strangers.

"I remember this place," another man said. This one wasn't so tall like the one in front of him and Dean thought maybe he might have saw him before somewhere. "The pizza here was awesome."

"Dean."

Dean was shocked at his own name. No one knew his name, ever. They knew Daddy's name all the time, but never Dean's, not unless his Daddy told them. If Daddy told them, that made them good, right?

"What? It was," the short man said, crossing his arms like Dean used to do before Mommy. Now Dean was a Good Boy, didn't get in trouble like the short man was going to.

The tall man looked kind of angry, just a little bit like he didn't like what the short man said. Dean didn't like the tall man looking angry. He sat back in his seat to get far away, but then he saw Sammy in his carrier and knew that he couldn't run cause then Sammy would be all alone and the big men could hurt him.

Maybe this was why Daddy was real sad. Maybe he knew that the big men were going to be here. Maybe he knew that the tall one was a little angry.

"Hey, Dean," the tall man called him.

Dean crooked his head to the side like he knew people thought he was asking a question.

"Yeah?" the short man said, coming closer.

"Not you. Little Dean."

Little Dean? That meant the short man was also Dean? Then who was the tall man? He looked a little like Mommy, but the body was too big, like Daddy's. Big Dean looked like Daddy lots more than the tall one.

"Hey," Big Dean said, putting his hand on the tall one's shoulder. "Maybe I should talk to him—me—him—whatever. I think I remember enough."

The tall one nodded and got up all the way, standing bigger than Daddy even though Daddy was always bigger than anyone.

Big Dean kneeled down like the tall man did next to him, but he didn't try to touch him like the tall one did. Dean liked that better. He didn't like people to touch him that he didn't know, which meant only Sammy and Daddy.

"Hey, Dean-o," Big Dean said, calling him a Daddy's-only nickname. He scowled at it, but Big Dean kept talking. "I know you're scared, buddy, about a lot more than just me and Sammy."

Dean was confused. How did Big Dean know he was scared about Sammy? Then the tall one turned around when he heard the name and Dean realized that the tall one was also Sammy. Big Dean and Big Sammy. Dean and Sammy. They would be like the same if only Big Sammy was the littler one.

"I remember this. It was right before the hospital."

Dean shivered. He hated hospitals. They always gave shots, even when Daddy said they wouldn't.

"Dad was sad… real sad."

How did Big Dean know? Was he inside his head? Maybe if Big Dean knew he was confused, he'd explain. But Big Dean didn't explain. He just kneeled there, thinking more of stuff Dean didn't know about. Big Sammy coughed a little and Big Dean blinked his eyes real fast and looked at Dean again.

"Do you know why Dad's real sad, Dean?"

Dean thought about not answering, but thought that maybe Big Dean wasn't bad. He shook his head.

"He's sad because he thinks he's a bad dad for you and baby Sammy."

Dean was angry now. He didn't care how big the men were. Anyone who called Daddy a bad daddy was mean and stupid and… and… and wrong. Daddy was the best daddy, even if he did stuff backwards sometimes, because he was good and he saved people, even when he was sad for Mommy. Dean wanted to scream at Big Dean, but he kept his mouth closed because Big Dean was talking again and he promised that he would listen better, even to people he didn't like.

"He thinks that he can't take care of you anymore so he's going to take you somewhere so you can have a different dad. You and Sammy."

Dean was confused. How could he have a different daddy? He only had one, didn't want another one. Sammy was too little to know if he wanted a different daddy or not, but Dean was sure that when Sammy was bigger, he would think the same as Dean.

"But he's wrong," Big Dean said. "You know that, don't you?"

Dean nodded lots so Big Dean would know that he knew it was wrong.

"Good. I need you to do something, Dean, something you think is real scary."

Dean tried to look brave when he nodded again, but he didn't think it worked. Dean didn't like doing scary things.

"You're real brave, the bravest. You need to tell Dad that you don't want to go away. I need you to speak, Dean. I know it's scary. It's the scariest thing in the whole world right now, but I promise that it'll be a real good thing and it'll make your dad real happy. Sammy too," he added.

Dean didn't know if he could do it, didn't know if he even wanted to do it. They could be real bad, getting him in trouble, making him do bad things. But then Dean looked into Big Dean's eyes and saw that, even though Big Sammy looked lots like Mommy, Big Dean's eyes would look like hers if he smiled. Dean wanted him to smile right now so he could see if he was right, so he nodded again, being brave.

Sure enough, Big Dean smiled. Dean smiled too, liking Mommy's eyes smiling again even if she wasn't here.

"Good boy," Big Dean said. He stood up and left with Big Sammy. Before he walked out the door, he turned around for a small second. He smiled real crooked like his Mommy did when she was thinking happy secrets in her head. Then he winked like Daddy did when he told a funny joke. It was nice. Dean liked it, hoped he would see Big Dean again.

"You okay, Dean?" Daddy asked.

Dean turned to look at him. People were moving again and Big Dean and Big Sammy were gone. His Daddy was still sad, real sad, and Dean didn't know what to do about it.

"Are you okay?" he asked again.

Dean nodded, shook his head, nodded again. He didn't know if he was okay or not.

"Are you gonna sent us away?" He asked the question before he even had time to think about it. He was being brave like he told Big Dean he would be. Daddy couldn't ever send them away, Dean would make sure.

But Daddy smiled real big and Dean didn't even know why Big Dean would try to trick him like that. Daddy wouldn't do that. He loved them.

"Never," Daddy said, and that was good enough for Dean.


Oooh, I love writing little Dean. He's just so damn cute. Let me know what you think in your review! One chapter left, Readers. The epilogue awaits!