Thank you...thank you...thank you so much everyone for all the feedback, follows and favorites for this story. Special shout out to Secretwrittenword, Kathy, Long Live BRUCAS, Leann Nickerson, Blondie 20000 and Allison!

Sorry for the delay in posting. Man this chapter isn't very long but I must have written it 10 times...just couldn't get it to flow. Well of course we couldn't have a de-aged Dean story without him getting sick and needing his Daddy and Sammy to help him feel better.

I hope people enjoy. I think we're kinda getting close to the end for this story. Maybe a few more chapters and then we need the curse to come to an end and see the lasting effects this will have own our little family.

Chapter 16

John Winchester had always been a light sleeper but it was during his tour in 'Nam that fine tuned his ability to listen to the sounds around him as he rested.

So at 4:30AM when he heard the soft pitta-patter of Dean and Artie running across the hall into his room. He kept his eyes closed to see if he would go back to his own bed or if he would 'wake' him up.

"Daddy,," Dean said in what he thought was a whisper but really was just his regular voice.

John listen as Dean huffed and puffed until he managed to get himself onto the bed. He smiled slightly when Dean lifted his arm so he could snuggle against John.

Finally he opened his eyes when Dean leaned into his ear and asked, "Daddy wake? Scooby please."

"Daddy doesn't have a tv in his room silly," John told him.

Dean yawned as he rested his head on his father's chest. "Downstairs please?"

"It's a little early to go downstairs. How about you, me and Artie try and get some more sleep." He suggested as he rubbed Dean's back in smaller circles, earning another yawn.

"Not sleepy," Dean argued meekly as he snuggled closer to John.

"Well I'm still sleepy," John said softly as kissed the top of Dean's head. "And so is Artie," he murmured as the dog settled at the foot of the bed and was already fast asleep.

John hummed softly as he heard Dean's breathing even out and smiled when he knew the child had fallen back to sleep. Yawning himself he let settled back to catch a couple of more hours sleep before starting the day.

SPNSPNSPN

John finished pouring a cup of coffee for himself before joining Dean at the table. "Hey Ace, eat your breakfast," he told his son. He began ladling eggs and bacon from the pans he settled in the middle of the table on the plate in front of him.

"Hey Dad," Sam said as he came into the kitchen.

"Sam, grab a plate. There's plenty of grub," his father told him.

"Sounds good," the other man said as he grabbed mug and poured himself some coffee before retrieving a plate and some silverware and joining his family at the table.

"Dean," John said as he tapped the plate on the highchair. "Eat your breakfast and then you can watch some cartoons before school."

Sam looked over at his brother and frowned. His brother loved breakfast no matter what age he was and the little fella poking at his eggs and bacon didn't feel right to him. Leaning over he placed the back of his hand on Dean's forehead and sighed. "Dad, he feels warm."

John looked up from his newspaper and studied the child across from him. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes seemed glassy. Standing up he went over and felt his forehead, "yeah, he's a little warm." He agreed before asking Dean. "Hey Ace, do you feel okay?"

John was rewarded with several sneezes as a response and took out his handkerchief, holding it up to Dean's nose as he said, "blow."

"Daddy tummy yucky," Dean whined softly.

"Yeah, of course it is." John said as he looked at the plate in front of the child and picked it up and put it on the table. He didn't need to be a doctor to know the greasy bacon would not sit well in the child stomach.

Sam volunteer to get some ginger ale to help settle Dean's stomach while John went over to the phone on the wall. "Caleb was still researching that new job right?" He asked his son.

"Yeah, why?"

John watched as Sam gave Dean a sippy cup and told him to drink it to help his yucky tummy. "I'm going to ask if he wouldn't mind covering at the shop. Nothing there he can't handle for me."

"I can call in if you want," Sam offered.

John gave his son a grateful smile, "why don't you hold off on that. This may not be a 24 hour thing and you might need to take a day off tomorrow."

Sam nodded his head as his father called Caleb's number and listened as he asked the other hunter to open the new shop. "Caleb will swing by the library to pick up the keys." His father told him as he tossed them to him.

"Right," Sam said as he grabbed a few crackers and put them on the high chair tray. "Hey Squirt, can you try to eat some crackers."

"Tummy yucky Sammy," Dean whined miserable.

"Yeah I know," Sam murmured as he lifted Dean from his chair, patting the child's back. He was just getting ready to carry his brother into the living room when Dean hiccup.

One second Dean was resting his head on Sam's shoulder and the next barely lifted it as his stomach contents decided to make an appearance as he got sick down Sam's back.

John winced in sympathy and he had to give his formerly younger son credit for not dropping his brother. He sighed when he saw the sudden dark patch on the back of Dean's sleeper and knew he was in for a few long days because he had a three year old with a stomach bug.

He reached out to take the now crying child from Sam. "Here, I'll take him. Trust me son just strip where you are and don't bother trying to salvage the shirt…the spaghetti and meatballs from last night ain't coming out."

"Great…at least it's a button down," Sam mumbled…happy he didn't need to try and pull the shirt over his head if he had worn the long sleeve polo shirt he went to grab earlier.

"I'm going to get him out of this sleeper and just put him in the shower real quick to clean him up and then you can grab a shower to get what's in your hair."

Sam scrunched his nose in disgust but nodded his head, "thanks. I'm already wearing it; I'll clean up down here."

John wasn't going to say no to the offer. Give him a ghoul's lair any day over cleaning up after a small child threw up. John carried a still crying Dean upstairs, murmuring gently, "you're okay Ace. A quick shower and we'll get you all settled."

Dean sniffle as his tears finally stopped he whispered, "okay Daddy."

John knew the child must feel miserable because he didn't put up any arguments as he quickly stripped him, tossing his sleeper (a favorite that Caleb had picked up with Cookie Monster on it) and the pull up in the trash before standing him in the shower and using the hand held hose to quickly clean the mess off of him.

Wrapping Dean in a hooded towel John brought him to the sink, placing him on his stool. "Lets brush our teeth Ace to get the taste out of your mouth," he suggested as he handed his son his Mickey Mouse toothbrush with a little dab of toothpaste on it. "Here's your water, I be right back."

Sam walked into the bathroom as Dean finished and gave his brother a smile. "Bet you feel a little better now huh?"

Dean looked up at his brother and held his arms up in the universal pick me up sign. "I got him Sam, finish getting ready," John said as he came back into the room.

By the time Sam got back downstairs his father had Dean set up on the sofa with his pillow, blanket, Artie, his favorite stuff buddies and Sesame Street playing on the television. The bucket next to his brother didn't go unnoticed and he knew it was a good idea.

"Sure you're okay with him alone?" Sam asked as his father popped a piece of bread in the toaster and had a cup of tea cooling to give to Dean in his sippy cup.

"We'll be fine. Mrs. Riley called while you were in the shower. She's making some homemade chicken noddle soup and gave me the number for the pediatrician her daughter uses if his fever doesn't go down after he gets some Tylenol in him."

"Right, I'll see you tonight," Sam said as he headed out the back door to the garage.

SPNSPNSPN

John collapsed on a kitchen chair. Christ hiking in the woods uphill in the rain was easier than taking care of a three year old when they were sick.

The poor kid had thrown up three times and it wasn't even lunch time yet. Mrs. Riley was a life saver; she had brought not only the soup but anti-nausea medicine and enough Pedialyte for his preschool class.

Finally Dean held down some ginger ale and a little soup and now the poor little fella was asleep on the couch.

He looked up when he heard the key in the back door and watched as Sam came in. "Hey, I didn't know you were coming home for lunch."

Sam shot his father a quick look before covering his mouth and making a dash for the stairs. John shook his head when he heard his other son throwing up in the bathroom upstairs.

Sighing he climbed the stairs, grabbed a few more pillows, blankets, the book on Sam's nightstand and another bucket before heading back downstairs.

He gently lifted a sleeping Dean and transferred him to the smaller loveseat and then made up the larger couch for Sam.

John was on his way back into the living room with a large glass of ginger ale and a sleeve of crackers when Sam finally joined him. The other Winchester had opted to change in sweatpants and a tee shirt.

"Couch is already set up for you," John said.

Sam nodded his head slightly and mumbled thanks before going over and settling into a cocoon of blankets.

John went over and place a couple of Tylenols on the table next to his son, "here you go." He said, he didn't have to touch Sam's forehead to see if he was running a temperature. John could tell by how flushed he was that Sam had a fever.

"Thanks Dad," Sam said as he sat up slightly to take the medicine.

John patted Sam on his shoulder as he turned to go into the kitchen to call Caleb and see if he could stick around a little longer to run the shop for him and to ask if he could pick up some Pepto-Bismol. Once that was done, John began heating up some more soup because John Winchester had two children that needed him to nurse them back to health.

TBC