A/N- I really enjoy all your reviews grin. Just keep them coming and I will try to make the last few chapters even better.

Thanks also go to my great beta Andrea:-)

Brother's Role

by Nicol Leoraine

Chapter 10

Dean blinked, not sure what had woken him up. Frowning in the darkness, he saw a figure sitting on the bed and heard heavy breathing.

''Sammy?'' he asked and was instinctively moving out of his bed, for the moment forgetting his injuries, though he remembered rather quickly when his side protested and he couldn't stop the sharp intake of breath. Hearing Dean gasp broke through Sam's hazy stupor and pulled him back to reality.

''Damn,'' he cursed, still hardly controlling his own heartbeat, but wanting – no, needing – to see that his brother was all right. Turning on the bedside lamp both Winchesters squinted as their eyes tried to adjust to the light.

''You okay?'' Sam asked almost simultaneously with Dean and he chuckled at the irony of that.

''W-what's wrong, Sammy?'' Dean pushed through gritted teeth, waving on his unsteady feet, not sure whether to go to Sam or sit back. He felt wobbly and a little dazed. Being woken up in the middle of the night after taking the pain pills didn't really bode well. His body made it's own choice and he flopped back on the bed, frowning.

''Nothing, Dean. Just go back to sleep,'' Sam said and struggled with the tangled sheets, trying to get out. Dean smirked wearily, his head cocked to the side, suddenly looking thoughtful.

''Another vision?''

''It's a dream, nothing more,'' Sam replied a little more harshly than he planned. Finally throwing the sheets back, he put his feet on the floor, but didn't get up. Instead he sighed, brushing a hand through his hair. He felt the sweat covering his body and shuddered. He needed a shower.

''It was about me?'' Dean asked, his voice sounding tired and as Sam looked at his brother, he could see he had trouble keeping his eyes open.

''Dude, lay down before you fall out of bed,'' he grumbled and pushed Dean back, ignoring the glare his comment had raised. He made a show of tucking him in, easily batting down the protesting hands.

''Was it Calum?'' Dean persisted, even though his eyes were already closed.

''It was just a dream, Dean. Nothing more. Go back to sleep. You're safe.'' And despite his will to stay awake, Dean succumbed to sleep, all the while cursing himself for taking the pill. He knew that Sam was lying, and under other circumstances, he wouldn't let it go. This time he didn't have a choice, as his own body betrayed him.

''I'll keep you safe, whatever it takes,'' Sam mumbled, fingers gently brushing through his brother's longer hair, before running them through his own with an almost savage gesture.

'I just need to find out how,' he thought as he silently made his way to the bathroom.

Closing the door, he sagged against it for a moment, trying to clear his mind. The dream was still there in the back of his mind, tangible like the sweat that covered his body. Shedding his clothes, Sam stepped into the shower and turned the water on, adjusting the temperature to a comfortable level. His mind wandered as he stood beneath the spray, almost slipping back into the dream before he realised what was happening Sam didn't know when the unknown boy waiting for his parents changed into Dean, or how Sam had become Hannings, he just knew that Dean was lying in his arms limply, like a rag doll and Sam feared to look down, too scared that he would see only a body. Then the vision mixed with another place and another time and he could see Calum running for his life, trying to hide from the storm…from the thing that was chasing him. They were in the mines, going deeper into the bowels of the earth when suddenly there was a loud crack and everything was flooded with water.

Sam gasped as the memory of the dream suddenly snapped, and he practically jumped out of the shower, the feeling that he was drowning too strong. Trying to silence his gasps, Sam put a fist to his mouth, muffling the sound. What he couldn't stop though was the fear for his brother.

'I can't let you go there Dean,' he muttered, shaking his head in resolution. No way was he letting Dean become the bait and end up like Calum or the Denim's boy. Even if it meant that Dean would have to relive his puberty once again.

Now he just needed to figure out how to make Dean agree with it.

xxx

After he came out of the bathroom, Sam checked if Dean was truly sleeping, then left the room in search of some coffee. The machine at the end of the corridor purred to life after he dug some coins from his pocket and fed them into the greedy coin slot. Cradling the cup of steaming liquid in his hands, Sam went outside, needing the fresh air. He flopped down to the curb in the parking lot, sipping at the coffee and grimacing at the taste. Sighing, he put it down and looked up at the sky as if the answers were printed in the stars. They weren't.

Sam bit his lip as he tried to think of a plan. He needed to get Hannings before the man could harm Dean, or someone else. He also needed to do it without his brother. Now there were the questions: How to put Hannings out of his misery, and how to keep Dean away from the danger. It was a paradox. Sam had less trouble imagining Hannings being vanquished than he had with keeping Dean out of it.

Yeah, he could've just locked the boy in their hotel room. He could also give him his pills, as they obviously put Dean to sleep. Maybe he could resolve the problem before Dean even woke up. Nah, Sam shook his head. That was unlikely. And he didn't feel all that comfortable with the idea of drugging Dean, for several reasons. He had to leave Dean alone, and Dean was just too damn vulnerable right now. Even as a kid, Dean could take care of himself. He was better conscious than drugged. And then there was the last thing that really troubled Sam.

What if he couldn't take Hannings out and something happened to him? Sam wasn't all that scared of getting hurt, but right now, he couldn't afford it. Just the idea of leaving Dean alone – of leaving a nine year old Dean alone, with a father who didn't answer their phone calls, without any other relatives... it was just too damn scary. Sam didn't doubt that Dean would be capable of surviving, but he wouldn't be able to hide from the system. 'Foster care' and 'orphanage' were just too strong a set of words to stomach.

Sam picked up his cup of coffee only to realise that it was cold. One look at his watch and he blinked in surprise. He had been sitting there on the curb for a good hour and he still didn't know what to do.

With a frustrated sigh, he threw the cup into the nearest trashcan and returned to their room, only to find Dean still asleep. No surprise there, after all, it was around four in the morning. Lying down on the bed, Sam stared into the dark. After ten minutes he knew there wouldn't be any more sleep for him that night. He took the laptop from the table and turned it slightly so the light from the monitor wouldn't shine into Dean's eyes. He had some research to do.

xxx

Getting up in the morning was never his forte, and it was an even less inviting thing to do when you felt like a car crash victim, which he was. Oops, not the best thing to remember before his first cup of coffee. With a moan, Dean opened his eyes only to close them again at the sharp light coming from the window.

''Somebody, shut off the sun, or shoot me,'' he grumbled and was rewarded by a chuckle.

''Rise and shine, Deany... it's already past ten.''

''So?'' he asked, then frowned and shot his brother a murderous look. ''What did you just call me!''

Sam only smirked in reply and held up a cup of coffee as a peace offering. Dean took a sip and grimaced, returning the cup to his brother.

''Urgh, when did coffee start tasting like poison?''

''I think it tasted like that for ever,'' Sam frowned and tasted the coffee. He shrugged. Nothing out of the ordinary. ''Maybe your taste buds have changed. After all, you're a kid,'' he added with a grin and ducked the flying pillow.

''Hey, careful! I almost spilled it!''

''Yeah, as if that would be a bad thing. Oh man, I feel like I spent the last week in a bed,'' Dean complained and lazily stretched, mindful of his bruises.

''Dude, you were thrown into the way of a car. You really thought you could take one day off and everything would be okay?'' Sam asked, voice full of sarcasm and something else, something that Dean couldn't for the life of him decipher and it made him look over at his brother in concern.

''Grumpy this morning, aren't we?'' he commented, and noticed the dark circles under Sam's eyes and then he remembered. ''That happens when you don't get your beauty sleep, Sammy. So spill, what kept you awake through the night? And don't give me any bullshit, Sam. I know you.'' Dean added when he saw that thoughtful look on Sam's face, the one that said 'lie' quite loudly.

Sam rubbed at his eyes and sighed. What was he supposed to do?

''It was just another stupid dream, Dean. I got up and drank a cup of coffee, so I couldn't get back to sleep. That's all, really.''

''Yeah, and I am six feet tall and looking twenty-eight,'' Dean grumbled in reply as he carefully got out of the bed, shuffling to the bathroom as if he was sixty. Sam shook his head and turned back to the laptop on the table, thinking the subject had been dropped, and he'd escaped the third degree questioning. When Dean emerged a few minutes later and sat on the chair opposite him with 'that glare' on his face, Sam knew he was screwed.

''What was it about, Sammy? Who's in danger now?''

Sam realised that however strong his desire to protect him, Dean wouldn't accept his protection any more than he would've when he really was only nine. And that irked the 'younger brother' almost as much as what he was about to do.

''It came out pretty mixed up, Dean. I saw Calum, but then it was you... and I think I also saw the Denim's.''

Dean's eyes perked.

''What about them?''

''The parents were arguing over something. Car packed up with their things. The boy Patrick was outside, down the road. I think he walked off, towards the forest, trying to get away from the argument. That was when Hannings caught him.''

Dean frowned, trying to imagine the scene. There was still something missing from it.

''What about the parents? Why did they stop on the road – just to have a shouting match?''

Sam shrugged. It wasn't so unusual. He remembered several times John Winchester stopping the car just so he could concentrate on an argument with Sam. It often ended up with Sam storming off and taking a five-minute walk, while Dean stayed in the car and tried to reason with their father. Then the horn would blare and Sam would return, slumping into his seat and not talking with anyone for another hour, not that he wouldn't want to, but because his dad turned on the radio and it was impossible to get a sound through it.

''It's nothing unusual,'' Sam conceded and Dean must've remembered their rides too, because he nodded.

''Still, the sheriff told me there was blood on the car, indicating that they drove over some animal.''

''Maybe that's the reason why they stopped. Patrick could've wandered off. It's not really important now.''

''Yeah, the question we should ask is 'why the Denim's'. What was so special about the kid?''

''He looked a lot like Hannings son. Could be that simple.''

''Nah,'' Dean shook his head. ''Plenty of kids look like that. Hannings chose Patrick. Remember what Susan told us? Hannings was probably the reason why they decided to skip town. So he must've bothered them earlier.''

''No, there had to be something else. When I checked at the library earlier, there was no mention about other boys missing. Not before, and definitely not after the Denim's vanished. And that was a good ten years after Calum died. After that, nothing.''

''Well, I think that the 'nothing part' is due to the Denim's trying to drive Hannings nuts and then it was them haunting the forest. Hannings didn't make an appearance until we burned those bones. Why Patrick was his first and only victim after Calum died, I don't have an answer to that,'' Dean said openly, then grimaced as his stomach grumbled.

''Hungry?'' Sam asked. Dean gave him a half shrug. He hadn't eaten much yesterday, and it wasn't like he had too much of the pizza last night. ''There' s a Chinese take out down the corner, I'll be back in a minute.''

''I don't really want Chinese, Sammy. What about we get some burgers?'' Dean asked, putting emphasis on the 'we'. When Sam opened his mouth to protest, Dean raised his eyebrow, ready for the argument. Sam huffed and shrugged.

''Whatever. But don't wait for me to get you out of the hospital if you collapse. Shoot, I'd make sure you get all the tests done twice before they release you.''

''Why, Sammy, and I thought you didn't care,'' Dean bit back with a 'You wouldn't dare' look in his eyes. Sam flashed him a 'You bet I would, bro,'' smile and Dean gulped, suddenly sure that Sam would do it, just to teach him a lesson. Damn this whole 'being a kid again' thing.

xxx

Dean was in the bathroom, trying to wipe the ketchup off his shirt, to no avail. The red stuff clung to the white shirt like chewing gum to a boot sole, and he only managed to smear it. Now he looked like the main murder victim out of a horror movie, the red stain covering his chest looking a lot like blood. Combined with the visible bruises on his face and the slight limp he had developed due to his bruised leg, he didn't wonder at the frightened looks he got just on his way to the toilets. Clutching at his side protectively surely didn't help. With a sigh, he turned on the water and once again tried to wash off the ketchup.

It was really the waitress's fault, he thought in frustration. Of course, Sam's comment didn't help any. Sitting at the table, Dean for a moment had forgotten his predicament, and had mistakenly thought the smile the waitress had sent his way was a flirtation. Of course, he smiled one of his own charming smiles. When she brought the burgers, he started openly flirting with her and she reciprocated quite easily. He was about to open the bottle of ketchup when she spoke.

''Ain't that a cute little boy?'' she purred and looked at Sam. ''I bet your wife is really proud of your son,'' she added, obviously trying to find out if Sam was taken for. Sam was just drinking his soda and hearing that, he gasped wide-eyed then started coughing as the liquid ended up in the wrong pipe. Dean for his part was trying to open the damn bottle when he heard the comment. Putting more force to the act, the cap flew off and the contents spilled all over the table and his shirt. Sam was still trying to catch his breath and the waitress was apologising, when Dean grumpily excused himself.

Now he sighed heavily, realising there was just no way he could clean the once white shirt. Shivering a little as the cloth was wet on his skin, and feeling just a little mortified, he shuffled back to their table. Sam threw him one look and turned away, hardly stopping the chuckle.

''I'll wait for you in the car,'' Dean said in a growl and left the restaurant. Only as he was standing by the car did he realise that Sam had the keys. Letting out another growl, he leaned against the hood, waiting. At least there weren't many people on the street, and he managed to beat off the surprised stares with one of his glares. Though when the third elderly woman stopped by him with that concerned gaze, he couldn't help but shout out loud:

''It's just damn ketchup!''

The woman recoiled, and Dean let out a sigh. God, what was taking Sam so long?

''Real smooth, little brother,'' came the answer in the form of a grinning Sam Winchester.

''Shut up!'' was all Dean said before he slid into his seat, grumbling. ''Well, any smart ideas of where to go now, 'Daddy'?'' he asked after a moment.

''I think our motel room would be the wisest target, seeing as you need to change. Then perhaps I should go to the Land Registry and find some plans of the mines. I have a feeling we'll need them soon.''

''Good idea,'' Dean said, calming down. ''So do you have a plan for how to get Hannings?''

Sam was glad Dean took that moment to look out of the window, because he wasn't sure what expression he would've seen on his face otherwise. Probably clenched teeth and a death grip on the wheel. Sam took a deep breath and when Dean looked at him a few seconds later, curious about the silence, he shot him a reassuring smile.

''Well, we should wait until you get your strength back.''

''I'm fine,'' Dean said automatically. All he got in answer was a raised eyebrow and a disbelieving huff.

''Yeah, right. I'd rather trust what I see. Right now, you wouldn't be able to outrun a five year old and if what happened in the forest with Hannings is any indication, you'll need to do a lot of running. I don't like to use you as bait at any time, but using you for that when you can hardly move won't happen – period.''

Dean opened his mouth, ready to argue, but clamped it shut when the wailing of a siren sounded from the intersection. In the next moment they could see two police cars and an ambulance making their way to the main road. Another cop was standing on the corner and talking into his radio. Sam slowed down the car and parked it only a few yards from him, pretending to look through a map. In reality, both brothers were listening to the young cop's excited voice.

''Are you sure it's the Sheriff? Whew, and I thought the guy would die of old age before he'd be forced to pull his gun.''

The brothers looked at each other, unsure of what was really going on. The cop obviously didn't know all the details either, because he froze at the reply from the radio.

''You saying he wasn't shot? Then what the hell happened?''

''A broken neck? You have to be kidding,'' unbelieving, the cop shook his head and said something that sent a shiver down Dean's spine. ''Yeah, they just passed me. They should be in Crystle Town in twenty minutes. But if what you say is true, the guy doesn't need the ambulance anymore.''

That was all they heard before the cop turned and frowned at them, only now realising what he was discussing. Sam faked a call on his cell, turned the car through a U turn and drove back the way they had come.

''Do you think it was him?'' Dean asked, his voice raspy. ''Hannings?'' he added.

''I don't know,'' Sam replied as the marker on the roadside told them they were leaving Pendleton. But even as he took a side road to Crystle Town, he remembered that feeling he had had last night, when he woke up from the nightmare. The feeling that someone was about to die.

TO BE CONTINUED

Okay, I really wasn't sure about this chapter. What do you think?

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