Garth's smile lit across his face the instant he saw Sam as if he were a kid in a candy shop, instead of a grown man entering a dank cabin in the woods.
"Sam!" He cried, giving him a hug, completely dwarfed by the Winchester's size. "How are you?"
Sam awkwardly patted the smaller man on the back. "Yeah, Garth; I'm good." He told him. "How about you?"
"I'm fantastic, dude!" He told him, breaking the hug and stepping back to look at him, the smile still wide across his face. "Just took down a poltergeist outside of Polson. That was one tough S.O.B." He shook his head at the memory. "Good times."
"By yourself?" Sam asked, stepping aside so that Garth could get in, and the man looked around with interest. "Not bad, Garth."
"Thanks, Sammy!" He smiled, as he looked around. "Where'd you guys get this place, anyway?"
"Uh, was Rufus's," Sam explained, letting the nickname slide as he picked up his bag, checking around to make sure he had the necessities. "We moved all of Bobby's stuff here after the house burnt."
"Man... cool hut." The smaller man grinned. "Mind if I took a look around?"
"Uh..." Sam hesitated, looking up. "Another time. We kinda have things going on right now." He brushed it off. "So, vamp nest?"
Garth's brow furrowed, but let it slide. "Yeah, got some in the woods a few miles north of here. Shouldn't be too hard to Garth 'em, 'we get an early enough start on it."
"To Ga-" Sam repeated, shaking his head in amusement. "Okay, let's go."
Garth picked up one of the books from the table, glancing it over. "What about Dean?"
"Uh..." Sam hesitated, and Garth looked up, slightly confused. "About that, Dean's..."
"Dean's here." The elder Winchester interrupted, stepping down the last of the stairs, pasting a smile on his face for Garth.
"Hey!" Garth cried, striding straight over with curious swagger for a man so small. "Dean, how you been?"
"Just... great, Garth." Dean replied, patting the man thrice on the back until he let go. "What about you?"
"Just been telling Sam, took a poltergeist out nearby, figured I'd hit two birds with one stone. 'Specially since you two are around..."
"Yeah..." Dean stepped away, moving towards the fridge for another beer. "About that. Sam did mention-"
"You're not coming?" Garth finished. "Yeah, he said. Man, what's up with that? You love a good hunt!"
"Ah, we, uh..." Dean trailed off, glancing at Sam, who gave a small shrug. "We've just got stuff going on here, and someone needs to hold down the fort." He snapped the lid of his beer off and took a sip, looking away. As much as he liked the dweeby guy, he didn't want to explain. How could he really tell him? How could he start? Even just a fraction of a detail would lead to more questions, answers he didn't want to give. Sam could tell Garth later, if he wanted; just so long as Dean wasn't there. He didn't want the sad glances, the sighs, the "I'm sorry to hear that" and the sympathy. He didn't even want Garth to say that he might know a guy who knew a guy who might wake him up; he'd been let down too much already.
Garth, much to Dean's relief, dropped the matter, brushing the dust from his hands onto his jeans. "Well, if you're sure." He smiled. "Do you want us to grab anything on the way back? Milk? Some paint?" He glanced around the room again. "You know, my cousin's an interior decorator, I bet he could give you guys a great deal on the place."
"Another couple' pack of sixes." Dean suggested, raising the bottle, ignoring Sam's glance in his direction. He knew what he'd see there.
"Come on, Garth." Sam stood up a little straighter, towering over the smaller man, who, to his credit, looked more bemused by this than anything. "Let's get there before night hits, at least."
"Yeah, alright." Garth agreed. He sauntered over, giving Dean a pat on the shoulder. "I'll get your brother back safe and sound, don't you worry."
Dean frowned slightly. "My mind is completely at ease now, thanks." He sarcastically replied, watching as Sam picked up his bag to go. He took a sip of his beer, looking out the window at the car. It was all packed and ready to go, and Dean felt a pulse start in his temple. He took another sip, gritting his teeth around the taste as he watched, seeing Garth through the glass walking up to the car. In just a few seconds, Sam would be gone in the frankly too small car, and Dean would be left alone in the too quiet hut. No, not really alone.
It was rare that Sam went out on a hunt while Dean stayed back. It went all the way back to when they were kids; Dean would take the risks, Sammy would stay in the safety zone. John had drummed it into his head and it had never gone away. Sure, it was nice to have a few hours or days break from his lump of a brother, there was only so long you could stay within ten feet of someone before starting to feel a little lethal, but it always made him feel a bit sick to his stomach. What if something happened to Sam? What if he came back hurt? What if he didn't come back at all?
His heartbeat started to rise, and he took another sip, hand gripping tight around the bottle neck. He could feel the tendons in his wrist, his neck, stretching, and his heart was thumping hard, his chest felt constricted. He was going to be all alone in this hut with no-one but the shell of his friend.
"Dean?"
His head snapped around to look at Sam, who was standing a few metres away, concern etched across his face.
What was he meant to say? 'Don't go kill the bad vampires because I'm having a chick flick moment'? No. Just because he wasn't fighting fit right now, didn't mean he could let his brother neglect the job too.
"Gank one for me." Dean gruffly replied. Another gulp of alcohol.
"I don't have to go if you need me here." Sam told him, taking a step forwards, ducking his chin and hunching down slightly, bringing himself down to Dean's height. "Garth knows other hunters who can back him up."
Dean scowled, leaning back against the counter. "We're in the back-end of nowhere, they wouldn't get here before sundown." He pointed out. "And I can take care of one sleeping beauty by myself."
Sam rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean."
Dean took another sip. "Yeah, I do, and it's dumb." He shrugged, looking back out the window and seeing Garth sitting in the car, tapping out some form of rhythm on the steering wheel. "Don't worry about me. Go kill some vampires, and come back alive. That's all I need."
Sam didn't ask him if he was sure. Sam didn't try to whittle him down, try to get an answer. He knew how much it would be killing Dean that it was Sam going out on a hunt while he stayed at home, doing nothing. But they knew that Dean wouldn't leave Cas alone, not yet. And there was no way that he would put their personal issue crap in front of the job. So, this was really the only route, and they knew it.
"Okay." Sam agreed, sighing and straightening up. He took a final look at his brother before turning round and picking up his bag.
"Gank one for me." Dean told them, taking another sip as his brother moved towards the door.
"You got it." Was the reply, short and to the point, because what more was there to say?
Sam nodded to himself and walked out the door, heading straight for the car where Garth was still waiting. Dean looked away from the window, not wanting to see them drive away, instead focusing on downing the rest of the bottle. Sam would come back. There was no need for him to worry.
Sorry that this one took a while, I was gradually chipping away at it. As usual, reviews only make me write faster.
