Chapter 34
Dean and Sammy lined up at the race's starting line. They weren't too concerned where they started in the crowded lineup. They weren't here to win. They were here to save lives.
All the participants awaited anxiously, ropes tied around their waist and to their partner, for the starting sound. Dean eyed the crowd. Sammy was definitely the youngest in the crowd. If they were here to win, they'd be out of luck. It was hopeless. The other kids were all at least ten years old, probably. Dean couldn't claim to be that great at judging kids' ages since he'd never had any of his own, not really.
Fortunately for everyone there, they were not there to win. They were there to save lives. Dean looked down at his little brother. He tried to relax. This plan better work...
"You ready?" Dean asked.
Sammy looked at him like this was the best day of his life. It was like he had totally forgotten that they were here on a hunt. For all Dean knew, maybe he had forgotten. Maybe he was totally a kid again. "Yeah!" He beamed.
They waited in silence. Finally, the gunshot signified the beginning of the race and the crowd was off! Dean watched as masses of people tore passed them wearing just as ridiculous outfits as he was. He had to intentionally move more slowly than he normally would have to let Sammy keep up. The kid was tiny and had the shortest legs at the race. He wasn't going anywhere too quickly.
"We're already losing!" Sammy complained, already sounding ready to give up.
"The race isn't over yet, bud. Let's go. No giving up." Dean hated each word he was saying. There was nothing he wanted to do more right then than give up and go change back into jeans and a suitable flannel shirt.
His words were about as inspirational as a poster with a cat hanging from a branch, but somehow they seemed to work on his kid brother. He smiled at Dean again and began pumping his legs as hard as he could. Dean didn't have to work too hard to keep pace with Sammy, but he could tell at the pace Sammy was trying to push himself at, it wouldn't be long before the kid hit empty.
The families gathered around to watch their loved ones race through the woods watched the brothers like they were puppies rolling around on fluffy pillows. There wasn't a cuter show on earth than little Sammy pushing himself as hard as he could to catch the other kids and his big brother, though most assumed he was the father, keeping pace behind him and making sure he was okay.
They reached the edge of the paved path and made their way into the woods. If there wasn't the threat of little vicious green men stealing children away, the run would have been nice. The forest was still and beautiful. Even though he knew the city was just yards away, Dean felt like the forest was far away from civilization and well-secluded.
It wasn't long before Sammy was panting and slowing down. Dean watched as the kid gave it his all and couldn't catch the big kids. He looked dejected. Dean placed a hand on his shoulder. "Tired?" Sammy shook his head, but it was clearly a lie. "It's okay to be tired. You're not as old as they are. Trust me, when you're grown up, you're going to bigger and stronger than all of them."
"You think so?" Sammy asked. It scared Dean a bit that Sammy couldn't remember being an adult anymore. He hoped that it didn't mean there wasn't a cure. Even though it meant losing his little brother's admiration and love, he knew he needed to return Sam to his normal self.
Dean smiled. "Yeah, I know so." Those words brought the cute smile back to Sammy's features. Dean swooped Sammy into his arms and placed him on his shoulders, letting Sammy ride him like a two-legged horse. He could feel Sammy's stomach against the back of his head, heaving in and out as he tried to catch his breath. He had really pushed himself. It made Dean proud. That was the Winchester way. You never surrendered. You never gave up.
"Hold on." Dean said. Sammy did as he was told and Dean took off into the woods, determined to catch up to the crowd. They couldn't protect anyone if they didn't have eyes on them.
Fortunately, Dean was one of the most fit, if not the most fit person at the race. Even with balancing Sammy on his shoulders, it only took a few minutes to catch up to them, but did involve him running harder than he really wanted to.
Once he had caught up, Dean didn't have to work very hard to keep pace with the kids and their partners. He just hoped that Clark was ready in case anything happened, and Dean was pretty sure something would happen. Something always happened.