Disclaimers and warnings: See chapter 1.

Chapter 53 Babe

Sam walked up the hallway to his room but found himself turning back to Dean's room and slipping in the door. As he entered he saw the bedside lamp was on and Dean was lying on his back reading one of the books he had bought him.
"Can't sleep?" Sam asked softly.
"Just keep tossing and turning. How did you know?"
"Just had a feeling."
"Huh." Dean frowned softly.
Since they had been staying in one place Sam seemed to be tuned into his feelings more than normal. He guessed everything seemed to be focused on him and his illness so he shouldn't have been surprised. It was just difficult to get used to.

Sam took the book off Dean and marked the page putting it down on the dresser next to Dean's bat clock.
"Come on big brother, you need your sleep."
Sam put his hand under Dean's shoulder and rolled him away from him and rubbed his back between his shoulder blades. Dean closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of Sam's warm hands on his back. He had started to nod off when he had a thought.
"This is beginning to become a habit. Are you sleeping okay?" Dean mumbled.
"Not really. But you are the one that needs sleep." Sam mumbled softly.
"We both need sleep Sammy. We will have to find a way to help you sleep."
"It's okay babe. As long as you get some rest."

Dean turned quickly to look at Sam's face. Sam had missed his slip up and was yawning tiredly.
"You call your girlfriends that Sammy?"
Sam frowned at Dean's devilishly grinning face. "What?"
"You just called me 'babe'. You must be hammered."
"Uh sorry Dean." Sam groaned. Dean would be sure to stir the crap out of him with that slip of the tongue.
"It's okay, Sammy baby." Dean teased before he yawned so long and wide tears leaked from his eyes.
Sam punched him gently in the shoulder and pushed him back so he was facing the other way again. Sam resumed rubbing Dean's back even though he could hear Dean chuckling softly. Dean's mood was contagious and Sam was soon chuckling along with him as he rubbed down his back.

Dean's head dipped down shortly after and he was fast asleep when Sam tucked the covers tight around him and snapped off the lamp. Sam undressed in his own room for bed with the feeling of warmth that he got after helping Dean. He chucked to himself as he brushed his teeth then climbed into bed. He lay on his side hoping to nod off but soon caught himself starting to toss and turn. It took until the early hours of the morning before he finally nodded off.

Dean woke early in the morning with a sick feeling in his stomach and made it to the bathroom to throw up into the toilet. Just. He kept it as quiet as he could knowing that Bobby was sleeping in the living room and Sam just up the hallway. He didn't have much in his stomach to throw up so it was over quickly. Once his stomach was settled he washed up and headed to his room to slip on some clothes giving sleep up for the night. Dean grabbed up his camera and his key and after leaving a note on the fridge he slipped out the front door. It was just light enough for him to find his way to the side gate. Dean walked along the path in the nature park that he had walked before; until he found a new path he hadn't tried before.

He checked his compass on his watch so he knew what direction he was headed in just in case. He found he had a little confusion creeping in now and again over the last few days and didn't want to get lost so close to home. It would give Sam an excuse to laugh his ass off at him. He walked for just over ninety minutes stopping now and again to take photos. Part of being a good hunter was the fact that he could walk silently without trying to and it caught many animals unaware. His skin was slippery with sweat by the time he got back to the apartment and let himself in. Dean could hear Bobby moving around in the living room so he walked quietly past the closed door and into the kitchen where he placed his camera on the breakfast bar and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. Dean went to his room and got some clean clothes and headed in for a shower.

Sam woke slowly and got up to use the bathroom throwing on sweat pants and a hoodie on his way out the door. When he finished in the bathroom he went down to the kitchen for coffee. He noticed the other bathroom door was shut and the water was running. As soon as Sam turned the kettle on Bobby appeared through the living room door.
"You want coffee, Bobby?"
"Thanks kid."
Sam spotted the camera on the breakfast bar and grinned. "Excellent, Dean's been out to the park."
Bobby raised his eyebrows.
"He took that one of the raindrop at the park his first time out." Sam pointed to the framed image. "His camera is on the breakfast bar and he is in the shower meaning he has probably been to the park this morning. I can't wait to see what he has taken."
"It's a great photo. Very artistic but why don't you just have a look?" Bobby asked still looking at the raindrop.
"I couldn't do that, even though Dean would let me."

Bobby nodded proud of the respect the boys had for each other.
"I'm glad you helped Dean find something he was good at. He is going to need the distraction."
"I enjoyed doing it Bobby. It makes him happy so it makes me happy to. Anyway Dean will be out in a few minutes. He will show me then."
"Show you what?" Dean walked into the room his hair slightly damp from the shower.
"Your new photos. You've been to the park right?"
"Yeah. Coffee first then photos?"
"Okay."
Sam grinned as he made Dean a coffee.

Dean plugged the camera into Sam's laptop and let the photos download into a file had for photos from the park storing them by date. Dean waited until they all had fresh coffee and were sitting before he opened the file and viewed it as a filmstrip. The first photo was of a red toadstool with drops of moisture dipping off the lip onto the ground. A drop had been caught as it was about to fall and the sun was hitting it in an angle that made the early morning sun hit the rest of the fungus and light it up making it look like it was glowing. Around the base and behind it was the early morning fog making the photo look like it was out of a fairy tale. Dean was about to click forward to the next one but Sam slipped his hand past Dean's and clicked on the image to view it the full size of the screen.

Sam and Bobby both leaned forward to look at the screen better and it was a full minute before anyone said anything.
"Dean, can I get a copy of this?"
Dean frowned at Bobby.
"I like it. Sam you should enter this one in that competition."
Sam nodded but Dean shook his head and clicked on the next photo.

Sam and Bobby both liked the rest of the photos. A few landscapes, two photos of jackrabbits eating and one of a hawk taking off. Dean got up and went to the kitchen leaving Sam and Bobby looking at the photos. Dean pulled out ingredients for breakfast and started chopping up. Sam got up to help when he heard the butter sizzle in the skillet.
"It's okay Sammy. I got it."
"I want to help."
Dean rolled his eyes at Sam's pout.
"Okay." Dean handed Sam the plastic egg turner and set about quickly cleaning up the rest of the kitchen and getting plates out.

They soon had breakfast plated up and sat together eating at the dining room table with juice and coffee. Bobby turned to Dean.
"These are nice Dean."
"Sam made them."
"I just stirred the eggs Dean. You put them together."
"Well Bobby taught me to cook."
"I think you have gone a fair way past what I taught you."
"What was the first thing you taught Dean to cook?" Sam asked.
Bobby didn't even have to think ." Spaghetti meatballs. Told me his brother wanted it."
"Ha, sounds about right."
"I liked em' to." Dean almost whined.
"Then it was eggs anyway there was. Then vegetables. You had seen something at school about how important vegetables were for growing up." Bobby continued.

Sam nodded as he remembered. Dean always made sure Sam had food with vegetables as far back as he could remember. He never really ate them much himself which Sam always thought was kind of odd. He would have to remember to get the reason from Dean.
"Has he cooked his grilled sandwiches for you yet?" Bobby broke Sam from his thoughts.
"No not yet. His roast is great though. The gravy is to die for."
"Like the grilled sandwiches. Wait till you try them. I don't even know what he puts in them."
Dean ran his tongue over his teeth and frowned at Bobby and Sam talking about him like he wasn't in the room. He decided a subject change would be good.
"Royal Gorge." He stated glancing over at them.
"What Dean?" Sam frowned.
"I just thought Bobby might like to go down to Royal Gorge bridge tomorrow."
"Where is that?"

Sam frowned in thought. He had seen something about that.
"About ninety minutes south. I thought we could go early tomorrow morning then be back just after lunch."
Before his afternoon appointment.
"What's down there?" Sam asked.
"World's highest suspension bridge. Thought you would know that Sammy. You keen Bobby?"
"If you feel up to it."
"It's only a short drive. Shouldn't be a problem."
"Okay."
"Good plan Dean." Sam had a big grin.
"We could leave at half six and be there around eight when there's less tourists around." Dean suggested.

Sam's smile faded. He didn't like the sound of the early morning but then he remembered he was sleeping pretty crap these days and he didn't mind again.
"That suits me cause I have to be back on the road Saturday morning and be back at home Saturday afternoon. I have some parts coming in I have to be there for. Sorry to cut it so short Dean, but I can try to be around next Thursdayday if that helps."
Dean knew Bobby was talking about his next Chemo appointment.
"It's okay Bobby, they aren't that much fun."
Bobby just gave Dean a small smile that told Dean he planned to be there.

TBC


Extra chapter for Australia day. Have a great day Aussies!