A/N: We shall see what has spooked Sam so badly in this chapter. Do you have a guess? Thank you for coming on this journey with me and I hope I have piqued your interest. I do like reviews/Comments. NC

Chapter 2

Sam felt the weight of the gun in his hand and looked down at it like he couldn't remember picking it up. He stepped back into the main room and put it back in his duffle before going back into the bathroom. He stepped to the tub and squatted down beside it, hoping not to seem so scary looking.

"Hi there," said Sam in a soft, friendly voice. He knew the minute he saw the green eyes staring up at him in fright that this was somehow his brother. "Is your name Dean?" he asked watching the child nod yes to him with a slow shake of his head. "I won't hurt you Dean. My name is Sam., I'm your brother." Sam looked at the child in the tub that was holding the knife Dean kept under his pillow out in front of him for protection. "How about you give me that knife, so you don't hurt yourself?"

The child watched Sam's every move as he held the knife in front of him for protection. He didn't know how he got here or who this tall stranger was. His mind was filled with fog, and he felt disoriented and confused. He knew his name was Dean, but that was about the extent of what he remembered. Dean's hand shook as he tried to keep the knife steady and protect himself. He couldn't understand why everything was fuzzy in his mind and he couldn't remember.

"Please Dean, I won't let anyone hurt you, you don't need to keep the knife. I bet it's heavy and hard to hold," Sam suggested. He could tell Dean was confused and very scared. Tears pooled in his eyes and ran down his cheeks as he looked hopelessly at Sam. Sam slowly reached into the tub and grasp the dull side of the blade, gently pulling it from Dean's small hands. He watched Dean scrunch himself smaller and wrap his arms around his knees that were covered by Dean's too large shirt that hung off his shoulder. "Thank you, Dean," Sam praised him laying the knife on the counter out of the child's reach. "How about we go into the other room?" Sam held out his hand to young Dean and waited for him to take it on his own. He didn't want to scare him any more than he already was.

Young Dean leaned back in the tub when Sam reached his hand toward him, thinking it was really big. He didn't seem threatening and seemed to want to help him. He was getting cold, sitting here in the tub and shivered for a moment. His mind was being bombarded with flashes of strange and disconnected images making him seem muddled and unsettled.

"Come on buddy, you look cold," Sam encouraged hoping to persuade Dean. He smiled when Dean finally reached out, put his small hand into Sam's large one, and let him help him up. Sam stood slowly grimacing as his knees popped from kneeling so long. He reached down and picked up young Dean to hold him close to his chest as his heart broke when he heard the soft sobs and felt Dean's wet face against his cheek. Sam blinked back his own tears and whispered to him, "I got you Dean; I'm going to figure this out and fix it." He swayed back and forth trying to comfort him before carrying him into the other room and sitting him in the middle of Dean's bed. He pulled the covers around his body for warmth and straightened up looking at this child wondering how in the hell did this happen to Dean. What could have turned Dean into a five-year-old child? He figured that was his age from the photos he had found in the storage unit that was taken when he was a child.

Sam was doing his best to hold it together and not lose it in front of Dean. He knew it wouldn't help the situation if that happened and would probably freak Dean out even more. From what he could discern, it seemed Dean didn't remember him or what had happened in the past. He knew his name and that was about it.

"I'm going to pack and we're going to go see Uncle Bobby," Sam told him as he gathered clothes for them and packed their duffels. He went into the bathroom to get their bags and grab the knife. He changed out of his sleep clothes and kept glancing at Dean who had not taken his eyes off Sam but seemed in shock and lethargic. "Well, I don't have any clothes that will fit you, so, I guess that T-shirt will have to do for now. I'm going to take the bags to the car, but I'll be right back, alright?" Sam watched young Dean to be sure he understood and saw him nod yes. "You stay right there. I'll be back." Sam picked up the duffels and weapon's bag before grabbing the keys for the Impala and the room. He stepped to the door and looked back at young Dean who seemed so small bundled up in the covers.

Sam opened the trunk to deposit the bags and unlocked the doors for the front and back. He looked into the car quickly deciding it would be a good idea to put Dean in the back so he wouldn't get stopped by any cops for having him in the front. He looked toward the horizon to see the sun coming up and lighting the surrounding area. Sam pulled his cell out and placed a quick call.

"This better be good to be calling this early," a rough, gruff, voice growled from his cell.

"Hey Bobby, it's Sam," Sam greeted him. "I just wanted to be sure you were still home," he told him trying to keep the stress from his voice.

"Yeah, Sam, I'll be home today. Is something wrong?"

"It'll be better if you see if for yourself Bobby. I hate to be so vague, but man…I'm freaking out but I'm trying to hold it together until I get there."

"The only thing that could have you this stressed is something happened to your brother."

"You'll see Bobby. I need to go. I'll see you soon." Sam hung up not wanting to try and explain what had happened over the phone. He shivered and drew in some deep breaths to calm himself before he hurried back inside since he didn't want to leave Dean alone for too long.

"Hey Buddy, how about we take a ride in a shiny black car?" Sam asked him. "Do you need to use the bathroom before we leave?" He unwrapped the covers from around Dean's body and picked him up, standing him on the floor by the bed. "Come on, I'll help if you need it."

Dean looked up at Sam for a moment before walking into the bathroom to use it. Sam checked and saw he was okay with the commode but would need help washing his hands. When Dean had finished peeing, Sam picked him up and allowed him to turn the water on so he could wash his hands. When they went back out into the main room, he picked up Dean's jacket from a chair and draped it around his small shoulders before picking him up since he was barefooted.

Sam opened the backdoor of the Impala and sat Dean on the seat before scooting him to the middle and putting the seat belt around him. He adjusted the jacket, trying to make him as comfortable as he could.

"Are you hungry? Why don't I run through a drive thru and get us some breakfast?" Sam spoke to young Dean as he got into the driver's seat and cranked the Impala.

"Vroom," young Dean spoke softly patting the seat of the Impala like he knew the car. "Go fast."

Sam looked over the seat to look at Dean as he gazed around the backseat of the car. It was like memories were coming back to him about some things from his childhood. Sam pulled out of the parking lot and headed for the main road while looking for a place to get them some breakfast. He pulled into a McDonalds and got into the drive thru lane behind the other cars. When Sam got to the order board, he quickly read it trying to decide what to get for a child. He finally settled on a carton of milk and an egg and bacon breakfast sandwich, thinking that was be the least messy. He ordered the same for himself, except got a large coffee to drink.

"Alright, here we go," Sam told young Dean turning around and handing him the sandwich and an opened carton of milk with a straw in it. "I'm sure you're hungry. Just be careful and don't spill your milk, you…." he started and stopped himself from finishing the sentence. He couldn't say that Dean would be mad if he made a mess in the car.

He made sure young Dean was okay and had napkins before starting the car and heading for the main road. Sam unwrapped his sandwich and started eating as he drove. He sipped on his coffee and kept glancing in the rearview mirror that he had adjusted to see Dean to be sure he was eating. He watched Dean unwrap the sandwich and sniff it before opening it up to look at the contents. Dean broke off a small bite and nibbled on it before finally taking a bigger bite. He chewed it slowly and took a swallow of milk to help wash it down.

Sam checked on him again and saw he had finished eating what he wanted and was hunched down in his too big jacket asleep. His body moved gently with the motion of the car. He didn't know that much about kids like Dean did since he raised him. Sam figured he would need to stop soon so he could use the restroom. He was still about four hours from Bobby's if he didn't run into any problems.

spn

Sam felt relieved when he turned through the gates of the salvage yard and drove slowly to the front of the house. He stopped and killed the engine before turning around to look at Dean who was staring wide eyed at him.

"Okay, we're here," said Sam in a gentle voice. He got out and opened the back to get young Dean out and carried him to the porch before sitting him on his feet. Sam knocked on the door and felt Dean move closer behind him and gripped his jacket as he pressed his body into the back of his legs. He waited hearing locks being opened before the door was open by Bobby Singer, the owner of the salvage yard and their surrogate father and mentor.

"Sam, good to see you son," Bobby greeted him in a fatherly voice.

"Boy, am I glad to see you Bobby," Sam rushed with relief. It felt good to know he had help now.

"What's wrong Sam? Where's Dean?" he asked looking toward the Impala to see it empty. "Sam…"

Sam moved enough so he could pick young Dean up and hold him to his chest. Dean wrapped his arms around Sam's neck and laid his head on Sam's shoulder as he looked sideways at Bobby, not sure what to think of him.

"What in tarnation did you two idjits step into now?" Bobby growled when he saw the young boy in Sam's arms who buried his face into Sam's neck. He knew it was Dean because he looked the same the first time he saw him all those years ago when John came to him for help. "Well, don't just stand there, get on in here."

"Okay," Sam sighed carrying Dean inside and sitting him on the couch. He slipped the jacket from around his shoulders and ran a hand over his head, patting down his hair. "Do you need to use the bathroom?" Sam asked him to get a head shake no. "Alright, why don't I turn on the television and see if there's anything on for you to watch?" Sam went to the television and flipped it on. He flipped through the few channels, stopping on an animal program. "Here we go. I'm going to go in the kitchen and talk to Uncle Bobby." He saw the frown and concerned look on Dean's face when he told him this. "It's okay, I'll just be in the other room. What if I stand where you can see me?" Sam offered, patting his shoulder to reassure him. When Dean seemed okay, Sam headed into the kitchen, but stood where he could see Dean and Dean could see him.

"Alright, Sam, wanna tell me what happened?" Bobby questioned Sam in a rough voice.

"Honestly, Bobby, I have no idea. After we got your call, we headed for Carroll, Iowa to check out that storage building. We paid for another month to give us time to get a truck and empty the place. There's all kinds of stuff in there, personal and supernatural related. After that, we got a motel room and settled in for the night. Something woke me early this morning and I found Dean like that hiding in the tub with a knife. I have no idea what caused this. I mean we didn't run into anyone or talk to anyone along the way."

"It looks like we have a mystery on our hands. Could someone or something have targeted Dean and you guys not know about it?"

"I don't know Bobby," Sam moaned in frustration throwing his arms into the air. He looked toward Dean to see him watching him intently and tried to calm down. "I need to run into town to find some clothes for him and pick up some food for a kid. You think he'll stay here with you?" Sam asked. "I don't think it would be a good idea to take him dressed like he is. There might be questions asked I can't answer. And I can't chance someone calling child protective services on me."

"You want me to go?"

"No, I'll go. Let me tell Dean and see how he reacts. If he seems okay, I'll head into town."

"Suit yourself. I think I can handle him. It's not like I've not done it before," Bobby told him. "He was that age when your Daddy first started bringing you two around. Has he said anything?"

"No, not really, just a few words. I told him I was his big brother and would take care of him."

"Well, it may be hard for him to understand what's going on, but he was a smart kid and hopefully he'll accept what you told him. Why don't we talk about this later, you know, don't need him hearing things he shouldn't right now?"

"Yeah, tell me about it. I thought I was dreaming or delusional when I first saw him." Sam sighed. "Well, let me go see what happens." Sam went back into the living room and sat down beside Dean so he could talk to him. "Dean, I'm going to run into town to get you some clothes and food. We can't have you running around in that too big T-shirt. I want you to stay here with Uncle Bobby. He'll take care of you. Is that okay?" Sam asked him.

Dean was solemn and didn't say anything as he listened to Sam talk and looked to the kitchen doorway to see the older man standing there watching them. He was scary looking to Dean, but he didn't think he would hurt him. There was something about him that made Dean feel safe, but he didn't understand what it was.

"Dean, will you be okay staying here with Uncle Bobby?" Sam asked him again. When Dean nodded his head yes, Sam smiled at him and patted his leg with approval. "That's great, there's one thing I need to do before I leave." Sam got up and went into Bobby's office to snag a piece of paper and pen. He went back to the couch and placed the paper on the floor in front of Dean. "Think you can stand on this paper so I can get an outline of your foot? It'll help me determine what size shoe you wear."

Dean looked at his feet and leaned over to look at the paper on the floor. He scooted to the edge of couch and slipped off to stand on the paper. Sam knelt and traced the outline of Dean's feet before nodding he was done. Dean sat on the couch and leaned back, letting Sam drape the jacket over him.

"You be good while I'm gone and I'll bring you a surprise," Sam offered as a bribe. "I won't be gone long. Bobby, I'm heading out. Oh, before I go, do you have a small stool I can put in the bathroom upstairs for Dean to use or do I need to buy one?"

"There's one in the basement that should work," Bobby replied stepping into the living room to look at Dean who was staring hard at him.

"Good, I'll look for it when I get back." Sam gave a wave and headed out the door.

Dean seemed to shrink smaller inside his jacket if that was even possible. This was just like when John first started bringing the boys around. He had been so serious and intense for one so young, mimicking how he was now. Bobby sat down in his recliner giving Dean some space so not to scare him. "If you need anything Dean, you need to tell me. There's a bathroom right down the hall there and I have some milk in the fridge if you're thirsty. I might even can find a cracker or two or some toast for you if you're hungry." Bobby studied Dean seeing he was giving him sideways glances but didn't offer to speak to him. He seemed to shrink smaller and pull the jacket tighter around him for comfort. Bobby wasn't going to press him knowing that would only make him withdraw more. He would let Dean set his own pace and hoped he would warm up to them. Nether Sam nor Bobby knew if Dean had any memories of his childhood from that age which was after Mary's death and a stressful time in his young life.

"You know the first time we met you were a little younger, but you haven't changed at all," Bobby surmised. "You were quiet and so solemn for one so young. I guess you don't remember that and that's okay. You're safe here son, you don't need to worry about that." Bobby could tell Dean was listening to him even if he didn't acknowledge him.

Dean watched the television, while occasionally glancing at the older man called Uncle Bobby. He tried to understand what was happening to him, but his mind was overloaded and didn't want to work at the moment. He pulled the jacket tight around his shoulders and took in the smells thinking they seemed so familiar to him. He watched Bobby get up and go into the other room when a phone started ringing and decided to lay down on the couch until his brother came back.