This will take you back to when Dean got back from hell. I had written this separately from the original Sean story so it goes back to the third person.

Picking up the Pieces

Bobby had just finished putting Dean through the paces, ensuring the man before him truly was indeed a man. It wasn't often after all that someone got out of hell alive. On his walk Sean was once again berating himself for not standing up to his brother and doing what he knew was best. He knew that between he had the power to stop Lilith's plan, to save his older brother, but again Dean took the high road wouldn't allow either he nor Sam to step up and help him. Now they were all living with the consequences of that inaction. Sam was always looking for vengeance, tracking anything that could lead him to Lilith and leaving Sean behind as they couldn't speak to each other and couldn't bear the silence that was left. Bobby was drinking too much and Sean, well Sean had turned into a monster. Not the saliva dripping fanged evil that the Winchesters had taken on their entire lives but a teenage malevolence that Bobby was forced to deal with.

Sean had not dealt with Dean's death well at all, nobody did but for Sean it was a devastation that he could not handle. His behavior would have rivaled Dean's adult activities, he spent the last months of being 13 sneaking Bobby's liquor, smoking anything he could find and acting out in every way he could. Bobby did not accept the conduct but allowed it to slide in the beginning knowing how much pain the boy was in. The last couple of months he found himself attempting to put a stop to the reckless behavior but was having little luck. He would look to the heavens and John for advice even though the man was far beyond giving any hints.

"I don't know what to do with you," Bobby admitted one evening after busting the teen coming in at 2:30 in the morning.

"I don't care what you do," Sean yelled.

"I know that you don't care about much anymore."

"How can I, look where I am, I have nothing. I have no mother, no father and no brothers, they're gone all gone, and I'm sure you'd bail too if this wasn't your house."

"Sam is still around," Bobby offered.

"Where, I don't see him, he's gone Bobby and isn't in any hurry to come back I am totally and utterly alone."

"You have me now don't you?"

"Yeah," the boy admitted looking up at this surrogate parent.

"Boy, what is that on your neck?" the grizzled hunter asked changing the subject.

"What are you talking about?" touching the bruise thinking he'd remember if he had been bitten by a vampire, but then he did remember and no it wasn't a vampire it was a 15 year old girl name Kiley who thought he was hot. Of course lying about his age helped a bit too. He had grown some this summer but was still hoping he would inch his way up a bit more.

"Where were you this time?" Bobby demanded to know.

"A party at the Henderson's barn," he admitted.

Bobby ran his hand over his face and looked to the heavens once again for answers, "that's it, I've had it. I know that you have a lot of grieving ahead of you, hell so do I but do you think this is how Dean would want you to behave?"

"Probably not," Sean whispered. "But then again, you know how he was," he said with a sly smile.

Bobby just glared at the boy, "I can assure you he would not let this behavior slide and neither would your daddy. Now I'm sorry but your vacation to idiot land is over and we will be dealing with this," Bobby said as he strode to the closet.

Sean hung his head as he knew what Bobby was after, but secretly he was happy as it meant that Bobby had healed enough to think straight. Up to this point he had been allowing Sean to get away with murder and it really threw the youngster into confusion as this had never been the case, not with his father, not with his brothers and not with Bobby. A trip to Bobby's never meant free rein in the behavior department. The one consistency in the young Winchester's life was discipline, especially in the area of physical punishment. John demanded obedience and did what he had to do to ensure that he got it; so Bobby was certain that Sean was resigned to the fact that it would come sooner or later.

"Your brothers, especially Dean put a lot miles on old Bessie here," Bobby said as he pulled the large razor strap from its hook in the closet. I'll admit that I got her broke in though, my daddy made sure of that." Bobby smiled for a moment lost in a memory.

"What?" Sean asked thinking this was an odd moment to smile.

"I was just remembering the last time John used this on you. You were what 10 ½, 11, and for whatever reason you thought it would be a hoot to throw water balloons at him from the roof. You had some good shots too."

Sean couldn't help but allow the corners of his mouth to rise a little. "Yeah I think Dean dared me, never thought I'd go through with it though. He didn't feel so great when I couldn't sit for a week."

"And here we are again."

"Yes sir here we are again," Sean said holding tight to the spot where he stood.

"Come on over here son," Bobby motioned.

But Sean remained where he was; the tears began to find their path out of his eyes.

"Boy I haven't even begun yet."

"I just…I just wish it was Dean doing this."

"I know kiddo, I know you do," Bobby said as he wrapped his arms around the trembling boy.

Back in the present Sean was starving and figured if he didn't get back to the house soon Bobby would be ready to skin him alive. The old man had put the hammer down lately and had forced Sean to respond to the rules not that the boy didn't engage in some forbidden activities but he had to let go of his stress some way. And so did Bobby so Sean would allow himself to be caught and grant Bobby his release. But as he neared the house he felt an odd sensation, something that even he, psychic kid extraordinaire couldn't understand. He opened the door and there before him was his eldest brother.

"Dean," he screamed running to him and throwing his arms around him. The sobs he had been holding onto rushed to the surface as he embraced the man that meant so very much to him. "You're back, you're here."

Dean held his little brother so tightly he thought he would break him. Sean had shown no hesitation running to his big brother knowing immediately that he was in fact real or maybe he simply didn't care as long as it looked like Dean that was enough for him.

After absorbing the fact that Dean was back, real and whole the group headed off to find Sam and share the wonderful news of Dean's survival and return. As the door of the motel room opened both Dean and Bobby showed surprise at the strange woman standing there. Sean was taken aback but not for the same reason his brother and friend did. He was grateful that they didn't see the flicker of recognition on his face as the woman departed.

After everybody was on the same page and the brothers three were reunited they fell back into their roles with ease. First on the agenda was to find who or what was responsible for bringing Dean back from the brink and that took them to a psychic that Bobby knew. As the group sat around the table Sean was growing concerned as they delved further into the darkness; he had wished that Pamela would heed the warning and stop her pursuit but all of a sudden it was too late and the damage done. Her eyes were gone, and the group as a whole still didn't have the answer they were seeking. Sean remained quiet as he was the only one who knew the name Castiel and understood how the damage was done to Pamela's eyes. But he chose to keep it to himself as it was just so unbelievable that he wouldn't even know where to begin. The never ending question of why were their lives so insane raised its head again.

Both Sean and Dean were exhausted and sleeping as Sam left the hotel later that night. At the diner Sam was working his mojo when Ruby came in to check on him, "you're getting good at that."

"Yeah, but still not as good as Sean," Sam replied.

"Well he's been doing it for much longer than you have."

"I can't believe he kept the secret all these years, but I do understand why."

"Of course you do, Dean isn't always all that forgiving when it comes to these things," Ruby said with a slight smile.

Back at the hotel Dean found himself in the midst of the same ear piercing, glass shattering agony he had experienced right after his resurrection. He saw Sean standing there and reached up to pull the boy who appeared to be completely unaffected by the distress around him down to the floor. Dean was ready to question him about his lack of response when Bobby arrived and they decide to go on the offensive.

"Are you sure you did it right?" Dean asked clearly bored and quite tired of waiting for whatever it was to show up.

"Yeah it's right," Bobby snapped back.

"Maybe we should just go," Sean said nervously.

But before anything else could be said the roof began to shudder and it became very clear that something big was on the way. And then there he was and suddenly Bobby was on the floor and Dean had tried everything to kill the being standing before him.

As Dean stood in awe he saw the seemingly immortal creature before him turn and nod to his baby brother. "What the…?"

"Bobby!" Sean exclaimed taking the attention off of himself.

"He's fine you know that Sean," the newcomer said.

"Wait you know each other?" Dean asked in astonishment.

And with that Castiel explained who he was and what he had done.

"Okay that's good and all but how do you two know each other?" Dean asked looking from Castiel to Sean.

"When he was only 3 months old we had orders to visit him, introduce ourselves so to speak," Castiel began.

"Whose we?" Dean asked.

"Michael and myself."

"The archangel Michael?" Dean questioned.

"Yes, your brother is in need of a great amount of protection. Michael shall we say breathed his essence into your brother."

"What?" Dean asked.

"Moving on," Sean interrupted.

"I came as well and have had more of a lasting relationship with your brother; I've helped him understand his place in this world."

"Really this is all news to me," Dean said glaring at Sean, "and since he didn't freak out when you came in your true form I guess you two are buddy buddy."

"It is true that Sean is able to see me in my true visage but it is no problem for me to appear to you as this," he said waving his hands up and down.

The conversation ended as Bobby began to stir.

"We need to talk," Dean said loudly and sternly to Sean when they arrived back at the hotel.

"What the hell happened in here?" Bobby asked.

"Castiel happened," Dean stated emphatically.

"Well let's go to my room where there's less destruction," Bobby suggested.

"Sit down and start talking," Dean ordered after they relocated.

"What do you want me to tell you?" Sean barked back.

"Why you kept the fact that you know an angel, the angel by the way that pulled me from hell. Did you have anything to do with him pulling me from the pit?"

"Now Dean just relax a minute, even if Sean did ask him to get you out of hell it's a good thing," Bobby said.

"The problem is he's been lying to me for who knows how long."

"I haven't been lying I just didn't tell you some things, I mean you don't tell me everything."

"Why, why did you keep it a secret?"

"Because I couldn't stand you looking at me like I was even more of a freak than you already thought I was," Sean shot back.

"You knew at Pamela's who was coming who was responsible," Dean began.

"Yes and as soon as I heard his name I yelled for her to stop, I tried Dean, Castiel tried but once summoned he can't stop and he warned her but she wouldn't listen."

"Well you sure stayed quiet in the diner when those demons were fluttering around, you could've spoke up then."

"And would you have believed me? Besides they didn't need to know the truth, they needed to find out on their own, why give them the advantage," Sean explained.

Dean was ready to launch back into the question about Sean asking to get him out of hell when Sam knocked on the door breaking up the inquisition.