John Winchester was not known to be a particularly deep thinker.

His friends and family saw him as a man of action, one who took a problem and looked at every possible way to solve it. It had gotten him in trouble more times than once when it came to his relationship with Mary, especially when they were dating, but John had been unable to change who he was. Alter it to help his family? Sure. But change who he was at the core? Not a chance.

Luckily, Dean had turned out to be just like his father. He enjoyed sports just like his dad did, so it hadn't been hard to connect with Dean as a baby and as he grew into the young man he was. When Dean had a problem, he always came to his dad, and the two of them worked out together what to do about it. It was because of this that John had grown so close to Dean. He felt they understood each other, and their relationship just flowed from there.

Sam had been a completely different story.

From the beginning, Sam was the exact opposite of his brother. When Dean had come into the world, he cried and whimpered a little but calmed right down when he was held by his mother or father. Sam had come out screaming and wouldn't stop until he was in his mother's arms, listening to her singing to him and rocking him. Sam loved his father, but he was never truly content unless he was with his mother.

Sam didn't like the same things Dean and his father did. He was a bookworm. From the moment he was strong enough to sit up by himself, he had buried his head in board books, then children's books, and by the time he was four, Sam was already reading at the level of a second grader. He was hungry for knowledge about anything and everything academic. He excelled in every subject in school without fail, a source of pride for both his parents.

But John just felt…disconnected from Sam. He didn't understand him. John couldn't just offer to take Sam to a ball game or let him help fix John's car to form a bond with him. When Sam tried to talk to his father about what he was learning in school, John found that his mind would wander to what he had to do that day for work, the chores that needed to be done around the house, and any other number of things other than what Sam was trying to talk to him about. At first, Sam seemed to not notice, but after a while, he simply stopped trying to talk to his father.

John heard the shower in his and Mary's bathroom turn off and he mentally prepared himself for one of two outcomes that night. Either he and Mary would argue about the consequence that John had laid down for Sam and Mary had reluctantly agreed to go along with, or Mary would simply turn out their bedside light and give him the silent treatment.

John wasn't sure which one was worse.

He wondered if Mary thought he believed he was doing the right thing in banning Sam from going to the science fair. The truth was, he didn't know. He felt like a true bastard taking something away from Sam that he'd worked so hard for. He also knew that his friends with kids would call him crazy. All his coworkers struggled to get their kids interested in school, and even came to him for tips of how he kept Sam interested. He let out a small chuckle wondering what his work buddies would say if they knew Sam was actually grounded from school.

"What's so funny?"

John sighed. "Nothing."

"I'm glad you have something to laugh about."

John bit back his response. So they were going the arguing route. Mary was drying her long blonde hair with a towel and sat down on her side of the bed. She said nothing for almost another minute, a minute that dragged on and on for John. Instead of responding to her barb, John chose instead to simply stare at Mary. Even after years of marriage, Mary was still the most beautiful woman John had laid his eyes on. Even angry, she seemed to glow to him. Usually Mary said nothing about him looking, but apparently she wasn't in the mood that night.

"I'm tired, John. I don't want to talk about this. Let's just go to bed."

"I don't like this either, Mary."

"Well, you were certainly quick to come up with it." Mary snapped.

"You agreed."

"John, you know I don't agree with this. You know that. But we agreed a long time ago to back each other up. That's all this is."

"Do you want to go to his room and tell him we changed our mind?"

There was the question that softened Mary. She stopped drying her hair and put the towel down on the bed. She said nothing, and John could see she was considering the proposition. He really didn't want to go back on his word to Sam, but was willing to risk it if it put him in a better position with Mary. After a few seconds, her answer surprised him.

"No."

"No? Really?"

"If we go back on what we said, he'll think he can talk his way out of punishments in the future. He won't take us seriously. But I'm worried. I'm worried he'll think that he shouldn't work hard in school because we'll use it against him."

John nodded. He didn't agree, but he understood why that would make Mary worried.

"I'm so proud of him. His project was gorgeous, John. He poured his heart and soul into it."

"I know it was. I saw it tonight before I went out to mow the grass. But I'm worried too. I don't want him to think that school's all there is to life. I know he's upset, but I think it'll do some good for him to spend some time with us tomorrow instead of being at school."

Mary considered John's words and nodded her head slowly.

"Look, let's do this. The science fair starts at nine, right?"

"Yeah."

"Let's get Sam up around six thirty. We'll help him fix his project and let him drop it off at school, but not let him stay." John suggested.

Mary smiled. "Is John Winchester suggesting a compromise?"

"Don't get used to it."

"I like that idea. But we take Sam out for lunch too. Just him."

"Shouldn't we make him apologize to Gracie?" John asked. "I know she won't really know what he's saying, but…"

"Later. Sam needs some one-on-one attention that's not yelling at him."

"Deal." John said. "You know something?"

Mary smiled. "What?"

"You're still the hottest mama alive."

"Oh, yeah?" Mary asked.

"Yeah." John slowly leaned over to kiss Mary. "What do you think about me?"

"You're alright."

John laughed, and for a moment, everything was okay. An hour later, the two of them were asleep. They slept so soundly that they didn't hear Sam sneaking down to the living room to work on his abandoned project. They didn't hear him showering and getting his clothes on at five o'clock, and they didn't hear the front door opening as Sam left to get to school.

Dean, down the hall from his parents in his own room, had heard Sam go down to the living room. He didn't say anything, afraid that Sam would bite his head off and not want to talk to him. But he didn't sleep well that night. When Gracie woke at four like she always did, Dean felt Michelle stir and get up.

"Hey. What are you doing up?" She asked.

"Couldn't sleep." Dean said. "I was thinking about Sam."

"What about him?" Michelle asked, her voice dipping sweetly as she walked over and grabbed Gracie out of her crib. "Good morning, Mama's girl."

"He's pissed."

"About Gracie?" Michelle asked. "I figured."

"I just don't know what to do." Dean said, turning over and watching as Michelle brought Gracie to their bed. "I wish I knew what he was so mad at me about."

"I don't think he's mad." Michelle said. "I think he's jealous."

"Jealous?"

"Yeah. Think about it. Sam's been the baby of the family for eleven years. Then I move in and have Gracie. I mean, your parents have been great. Better than great. But if I've noticed it, I'm sure your brother has too. Your parents barely pay attention to him."

"I hadn't noticed either. But I guess you're right." Dean said guiltily.

"Can I make a suggestion?" Michelle asked. "Let me take Gracie to the park this afternoon. Use that time to take your brother somewhere he likes. Don't go to the garage. Go to the museum and let him tell you about all the exhibits."

"Great. Just what I want to be doing with my Saturday."

"Don't think of it as a boring trip to the museum. Think of it as reconnecting with your brother. I know that means a lot to you. I think me and Gracie can spare a Saturday without you."

"Oh, you can, can you?"

"What do you think, Gracie? You and me going to the park to play?" Michelle asked.

A delighted Gracie laughed and put her hands in front of her eyes.

"That settles it."

Dean sighed. "If you're this eager to get rid of me at this age, what are you gonna be like as a teenager?"

A loud, all too familiar sound followed by a sour smell filled the room. Gracie giggled again and her parents looked at each other. Without saying a word, both immediately played a game of rock, paper, scissors. Dean lost and groaned, and Michelle held out Gracie to him.

"Your turn, Daddy."

"Two out of three?"

"Not a chance." Michelle said with a grin. "Come on, if we get her changed maybe we can get her back to sleep."

"Can we have a little fun then?" Dean grinned.

"Depends how fast you get her changed."

The sun was creeping through the windows of John and Mary's bedroom. Mary felt better after she and John had come up with a compromise the night before, but she couldn't get Sam's words out of her mind. You've been cheering Dean on for the last year. Everything he's done is great and awesome and he's trying so hard to be the big responsible parent. I just thought maybe you'd want to cheer me on for once too. Did Sam really think that Mary didn't want to cheer for him too? Had she been so wrapped up in being a grandmother and helping Dean and Michelle get on their feet that she'd let Sam slip through the cracks?

She'd wondered many times over the last year why Sam had stopped talking to her. She fondly recalled times not so long before that Sam would sit in the kitchen as she cooked dinner, telling her minute details about his day. Half the time she didn't even catch half of what Sam was saying but nodding and smiling at the right places made him feel loved and heard.

How was Mary just seeing that those times had gone away?

She knew the answer, and didn't want to admit it to herself. She'd always wanted a little girl. A daughter was her dream. But after Sam's birth, hemorrhaging had nearly killed her, and she and John had made the excruciating choice not to have any more children. Though Mary loved both her boys so much that she'd die for them without a second thought, a little girl remained something that seemed unobtainable.

Then Gracie came along.

A granddaughter, Mary discovered, was even better than what she'd thought a daughter would be like. Though Mary accepted that she'd take a bigger part than most grandmothers in the raising of Gracie than most grandparents would, she was able to hand Gracie to Dean or Michelle or John when it got to be too much and not feel guilty for it. Well, not too guilty, anyway.

But none of that mattered this morning.

Mary checked the clock and saw it was five in the morning. Too early for breakfast on most Saturday mornings, but she wanted to do something for Sam before John woke him up in an hour. She put on her slippers and padded down to the kitchen. She thought about going in to check on Sam but decided against it. She wasn't sure how Sam was feeling, and didn't want to complicate things by accidentally waking him up.

Who am I kidding? Mary thought as she went to the kitchen. I just don't want to face him right now.

The pancakes were made, and Dean walked into the kitchen with a happy Gracie. Dean had fixed a bottle for Gracie and had her sitting happily in her highchair when they were joined by Michelle. Gracie, with the two teeth she had in her mouth, began to gum a small piece of pancake that her father gave her, gnawing on it happily when John walked in.

"Mary? Did Sam get up already?"

"I haven't seen him yet. Why?"

"I went to wake him up and he's not in his bed."

Mary checked the clock. It was almost seven. "I thought you were going to wake him at six."

"I forgot to set the clock." John said. "We should still have enough time. If he gets up now."

"Enough time for what?"

"Your mom and I decided last night to still let Sam take his project to the fair. He still has to come home, but he can enter it into the contest." John explained.

"Really?" Dean asked. He couldn't recall a time his father, or even his less strict mother, had changed their minds on a punishment. "Wow, Dad."

"I'm impressed." Michelle said.

"Listen, Dad, I had an idea. I know you said Sam needed to stay here, but…"

The house phone rang, its shrill cry making everyone jump. With a quick note to Dean to hold that thought, son, John went to answer it. From the kitchen, Mary couldn't hear what John was saying in the living room, but she could tell from the sound of his voice that whatever was going on wasn't good. Her fear was confirmed when John walked back in, face pale and full of fear.

"John? What is it?"

"Sam took his project to school this morning."

"He what? I was up at five! What did he do, walk half a mile in the pitch black dark with his project in his hands."

"That's exactly what he did." John said. "But that's not why the principal just called."

"What is it, John?"

"Apparently when she got there, Sam told her that we had dropped him off. She didn't believe him, but she let him walk in with her and was planning to call us to check when more students showed up."

"Okay. What are you not saying? Is Sam okay, John?"

John swallowed. "No. He's not. Sam collapsed at school. He's unconscious. They called an ambulance and he's on his way to the emergency room."