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On with the show!

Saturday was very uneventful. Sam had a birthday party for a kid in his class so he and Dad were gone for the majority of the day, leaving Dean home alone. Dean was pretty content with it. Sitting on his bedroom floor catching up on homework sounded much better than being forced to hang out with his dad while a bunch of ten-year-olds he didn't even know ran around one of those indoor bounce house places on a sugar high.

When they came home, John suggested the three of them go out for a guys' night while Mary was still out of town. Dean was more than relieved when Sam said he didn't want to because he was too tired from his party. Dean couldn't help it. He didn't want to be mad at his father, but anger was all he felt.

He did agree to a movie, but only if he and his dad sat on opposite ends of the couch with Sam in the middle. Sam didn't mind. His eyes never left the television as he shoved almost an entire bowl of popcorn in his little face. John, however, kept sneaking glances over at Dean and watching him. He knew Dean wasn't okay with him being here, and going off what Mary would report back to him, he wasn't taking anything well. It wasn't until Dean picked up a piece of popcorn and flicked it at Sam midway through the movie that he finally caught Dean's eye. For the first time that weekend, Dean actually looked at him, only to realize John was watching him, and quickly turned his head away back to the movie.

"Dean? Can we talk?"

Dean was standing at the kitchen sink rinsing out their popcorn bowls. The movie had ended and Sam was upstairs taking his shower and getting his pajamas on.

"What about?" Dean asked back, trying to keep his cool.

"Just haven't really talked to you lately. Anything new going on?"

"Coach told me tryouts for the high school wrestling team are coming up."

"Really? That's exciting."

"I haven't decided if I want to do it yet."

"Why?"

Dean shrugged and walked away to put the bowls back in the cabinet where they went.

"Anything else going on?" John asked, hoping Dean would eventually give him something he could use to open him up.

"Like what?"

"Like what?" John repeated, starting to laugh softly at himself. "You driving yet? Got a job? A house? Wife and kids?"

He saw Dean's shoulders tense up from across the room.

"Not funny, huh?"

"When are you coming back home?" Dean quickly asked, his brain not even processing the words before they came out of his mouth.

"Dean-"

"Please come back home!" Dean pleaded, running back over to the sink where his dad was still standing. "I mean, how much more time do you and Mom need? She misses you and Sammy misses you and I miss you and you're supposed to be here!"

John's heart broke as he watched his boy start sobbing right in front of him. He wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled Dean into his chest. Dean immediately tightly wrapped his arms around John's waist.

John couldn't remember the last time he held Dean while he cried in his arms. Given how Dean just turned fourteen not that long ago, it had obviously been a while. John remembered when this kid used to cry at everything.

John opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by his cell phone ringing in his pocket. With his one free arm, he pulled it out and looked at the screen.

"Hello?" he answered. He did not like what the voice on the other end had to say. He tried to fight, reminding the other person that he was with Sam and Dean tonight, but the other voice didn't want to hear it. John hung up the phone and slammed it back inside his pocket. He turned his attention back to Dean and mentally kicked himself for what was about to happen.

"Dean?" he said softly, almost like a whisper. "I have to go to Kate's."

"What?" Dean said, gasping for a breath in-between his sobs. He pushed himself away from John. "Wait, why?"

"Adam woke up from a bad dream," John explained. "He wants me. I have to go over there."

Dean was even more hurt. How many times in the middle of the night does Kate call him? How many times does his dad drive over to Kate's house for Adam? Obviously enough times for Adam to know he can wake up crying for him and he'll just go over. Does his dad stay over at Kate's sometimes? Does he help Adam get ready for bed? Is he there when Adam wakes up in the morning? Does he make him breakfast for school like he used to do for him and Sam and that he should still be doing for him and Sam? Does-

"Are you listening to me?" John asked, pulling Dean back. Dean didn't say a word.

"Listen, just put Sammy to bed for me," John said, putting his hand on Dean's shoulder. "I'll be a couple hours but I'll be back before you go to bed, okay?"

Dean couldn't even look at his father anymore. He heard John walk out of the kitchen, grab his keys off the hook by the front door, and shut and lock the door behind him. Dean started to tremble some more. He managed to find his fourteen-year-old strength to pull himself together and go upstairs. Sam had finished his shower and was already in his pajamas waiting in his room.

"Where's Dad?" he asked.

"He had to go," Dean answered curtly.

"Why?"

"Just shut up and get in bed," Dean snapped. Sam immediately ran across his room and crawled under his blanket and laid down. Dean shut off his bedroom light and turned around to walk away.

"Wait!" Sam cried out.

"Yeah?"

"You're supposed to kiss me goodnight."

"You're kidding right?"

The bedroom was dark but Dean could see in the nightlight next to Sam's bed two big eyes staring up at him. Dean groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Oh my god, fine."

He shuffled over to Sam's bed and bent down to kiss Sam on the forehead.

"Wait!" Sam cried out again.

"What now?" Dean asked, still standing next to Sam's bed.

"I want Timmy."

"You still sleep with that thing?"

Another intense staredown with two big eyes. Dean groaned again and walked over to Sam's toy shelf and picked up a small stuffed turtle Sam had since he was a baby. He tossed it on the bed next to Sam, who welcomed the toy with open arms and squeezed it tight next to his body.

"Anything else?" Dean asked. Sam shook his head no. "Good. Close your eyes and go to sleep."

Dean walked back towards the doorway to Sam's room. He just turned the corner when he heard a soft "Goodnight Dean."

Dean couldn't help but stop and smile softly to himself. "Goodnight Sammy," he threw over his shoulder before making his way back downstairs.

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