You guys asked for more and now ye receive. You can decide whether you're glad or not after you read this chapter lol.

This chapter was requested by the lovely Pricelesstrashpanda and I was very glad to oblige.

TW: This chapter deals with talk of self-harm and suicide attempts. There is nothing graphic and nothing happens, but it is discussed and Caleb panics for a bit.

Please enjoy!

~TH~

Mackland pushed the door open when the quiet voice gave him permission.

"How are you this morning?" Mac tried to force a smile as he moved towards Dean.

"I'm fine." The teen answered, not making eye contact.

Mac's smile wavered. "Do you mind if I look at your arm? The stitches should be about ready to come out."

Dean shrugged, "I think it needs a couple more days but it's not bad."

"May I look?" He asked again.

Dean looked conflicted. Mac wasn't sure why Dean was so against him seeing. The doctor had been stitching and tending to the Winchesters for years. True, Dean hated the fuss but if he was really as okay as Dean was claiming there shouldn't be a reason for him to hide any injury. Last time Mac had seen it it had already been wrapped. He wasn't even sure exactly what he was hiding.

"Whatever." Dean finally answered, pulling off his long sleeve flannel. He didn't make eye contact the entire time, dropping the shirt beside him on the bed. Dean held his left arm tight to himself, having given permission in words but still holding back.

Mac pulled the chair over from the desk, sitting in front of the teen. He gently brought the injured arm down to rest in his lap. Dean's eyes were glued to the wall behind Mac's head.

The doctor had to school his features as he looked down. He now thought he might understand why Dean had been so apprehensive to let him see. It was a jagged cut, starting about two inches above the wrist and traveling a couple more inches up towards the elbow. Mac had to fight himself not to react, not wanting to cause more problems.

"Nasty cut," He said, knowing how awkward it sounded. He probed the cut lightly noting it was professional grade and well done.

"Yup," Was Dean's answer, still not looking towards the doctor.

Mac bit his lip, "How'd it happen?" he ventured.

"Dropped a glass plate." Was the clipped answer.

"It seems to be healing well. You're right about it needing a few more days, but it shouldn't be much longer." He gave a light pat to the teens leg.

"I know what you're thinking," Dean's voice was dark and he'd yet to look away from his spot on the wall. "It wasn't that."

There it was. An opening to a conversation. Mac knew he had to tread lightly or else Dean would completely shut him out.

"I have no intention of accusing you, Dean."

"But you were thinking it, everyone thinks it. The doctor who stitched it up thought it too, it's why Sonny wasn't in the room when you came." He let out a sardonic laugh, "Honestly you showing up when you did probably saved me a trip to psyche land. So thanks for that."

Mackland paled, out of all of Caleb's horror stories, that was the one that had left the longest impact. He couldn't imagine what an experience like a long term psych ward stay would do to someone as independent as Dean.

"Dean, you know if you ever need to talk-" He knew it was the wrong thing to say the moment it left his mouth.

Dean jerked his arm back, standing and moving around to pace behind Mac. "You don't believe me." He scoffed. "I knew you wouldn't, that's why I didn't want you to look. Say what you want but at least Sonny believed me."

"It's not that I don't believe you." Mac rose slowly to face the spooked teenager. "I just want to make sure that you know-"

"What? That you have some contacts left in the mental hospital you rescued Caleb from? Did I return from my exile too soon? Want to get rid of me again?" The venom in Dean's words were enough to shake Ames. This was just as out of character for the teen as the emotional display Caleb had described last night.

Mac came forward, grabbing the pacing teen by the shoulders. "Don't. Don't even insinuate that I would ever do that to you, or any of you boys. If you say it was an accident then I will believe you and we will put the entire incident behind us. But you have to promise me that if something has happened or ever happens that causes you to want to harm yourself you will tell me. Not so I can lock you away but so that I can help."

Dean glanced away, but this time with emotion. "I'm sorry." He choked out.

Mac pulled the boy into a hug which Dean violently returned. "You have nothing to be sorry for. I want you to remember that. What happened was not your fault. I'm sorry we didn't notice you were gone sooner, we should have. We thought you were safe at Bobby's. We would never want you gone."

"It really was an accident." He whispered, not pulling away.

"I believe you." He answered just as quietly.

"Is everything okay?"

The voice from the doorway caused Dean to practically shove away from Mac. The teen turned away, wiping at his face frantically before crossing his arms.

"We're fine, Caleb." He said with a disapproving frown. He did not appreciate his son intervening on such a private moment and was honestly surprised he would.

"Deuce?"

"I'm fine. What do you want?"

Caleb matched Dean's posture, crossing his arms. "Pastor Jim took Sam to the church, said he'll be back for dinner."

"Cool." Was Dean's terse response. Between last night's emotional display and this current reaction, it was clear the teen was feeling awkward around his best friend.

Caleb's eyebrows drew together as he stepped forward. "Are you bleeding?"

Mac's eyes fell on Dean's crossed arms, a light trail of blood dripping to the floor. Dean looked down as well, hugging his arms closer to himself.

"It's fine." He said, voice full of panic.

"Dad?" Caleb said, moving forward.

Macklad tried to intervene. "He's fine, son, it's just-"

Caleb jerked Dean's arms out. A few of the stitches had popped but that wasn't what Mac was worried about at the moment.

"What the heck, Deuce?!" Caleb shouted, pulling Dean's left arm towards him. "What is this?!"

Dean tried to jerk his arm away, but Caleb held firm. "It's not what it looks like, Damien!" His voice was a mix of anger and fear.

"What it looks like?! Dean it looks like you tried to friggin off yourself!"

"Well I didn't!" He finally succeeded in pulling his arm away.

"Dean, let me see it." Mac intervened, stepping in front of Caleb and grabbing the teen's arm. "Caleb, go get me the suture kit."

"But, Dad!"

"Now, Caleb." His tone left no room for argument.

Caleb set his jaw before he spun on his heels and went to do what his father asked.

"It's not bad, but they may have to stay in a couple days longer than we originally thought." He offered a small smile, leading him back towards the bed.

"Caleb's gonna freak- what am I saying he is freaking!" He ran his right hand through his hair, the panic clearly building. "It really wasn't anything but he- he won't get it!"

Mac placed a hand on Dean's leg, sitting back in the desk chair. "Just talk to him. He's your friend, he'll listen to you."

"I can't keep doing this! I can't keep explaining-! I can't have everyone looking at me like that! Like I'm- I'm broken! I'm not!"

"No one said you were, Dean."

Caleb appeared and shoved the suture kit into his father's hands.

"Now are we going to talk about this or are you going to send me out of the room again like a child?"

"I suppose it depends on whether you are going to continue acting like a child." Mac replied mildly.

Dean couldn't help the small smirk and Mac felt proud of the small accomplishment.

"Are we seriously not going to talk about this?!" Caleb pointed down towards where Mackland was now re-stitching the cut.

"There's nothing to talk about, son. Dean cut his arm on some broken glass. It was an accident. It's not a bad cut, some of the stitches simply tore open. He will be fine."

"An accident? You really expect me to believe that?!"

"You should." Dean cut in, glaring at his best friend. "It's the truth."

Caleb deflated. "You don't have to lie to me man, just tell me what's going on. Was it really that bad?"

"No!" Dean looked like he was going to try to stand but Mac placed a hand on him to remind him not to move. "I told you it was fine! Read me, does it seem like I'm lying?!"

Mackland glanced at his son. He could see Caleb staring at Dean, likely trying to read him. Caleb let out an annoyed sigh before reaching out and touching the area Mac was stitching. Mac started to protest but let him be when he saw that Caleb was using it to induce a vision.

Caleb snapped out of it, taking a step back. Mac tied off the last stitch and Dean pushed him away.

"Be careful," the doctor warned, "we don't want a repeat."

"There." Dean ignored him, turning on Caleb, "Now do you believe me?!"

"Yeah," Caleb said quietly, "But come on man, you can understand how it looks."

"Yeah," Dean repeated, much louder and angrier. "But you're so sure that I'm some broken-"

"Come on Deuce, I know you're not broken, I just want you to be okay."

"I'm fine!"

"Yeah, and that breakdown you had last night just proves it, huh?" Caleb challenged.

"Really? You're going to use that against me!?"

"Boys!" Mac interjected, but he was ignored.

"I'm not using anything against you, I'm just trying to get you to talk to me!"

"Well there's nothing to talk about!"

"You were in that place for two months how can you say that you were okay?!"

"I told you it wasn't as bad as you think it was!"

"Boys, enough!"

"Well something is clearly bothering you! Whether you hurt yourself or not!"

"Dude what's your problem?! I'm not you so you can stop projecting your PTSD or whatever this is on me!"

"I can sense it man! Something happened to you! Something you won't talk about!"

It looked as if Dean was actually going to take a swing at the older boy when Mackland finally intervened. "Boys, that's enough!" He shouted, stepping between them.

Dean turned around, dragging a hand through his hair.

"There's nothing to tell." Dean said again, "It was… normal." He added in a whisper.

Mackland let out a breath, realization finally setting in. "And that's just it, isn't it? It was normal."

"What?" Caleb questioned, crossing his arms.

"You found normal," Mackland was talking to Dean, ignoring his son. "For the first time you felt normal and now that feeling's gone."

"Shut up." Dean murmured with no real heat.

The Scholar let the comment slide. "It's not that horrible things happened while you were away, it's that good things did."

Dean was drawing into himself almost physically. "Forget it." he whispered.

"Wanting normal is nothing to be ashamed of, son." Mackland offered kindly, placing a hand on Dean's shoulder.

Dean jerked away. "Just leave me alone! Okay? Just- Just get out!"

"Deuce-" Caleb tried.

"Get out, Caleb! Get out!" Dean shouted, angry tears forming in his eyes.

Mac turned, lightly touching Caleb on the arm. "Let's go, son."

Claleb complied but was clearly not pleased about it. The doctor shut the door, turning to his son.

"Well, that went well." He sighed.

"I wasn't trying to make him mad I just-"

"I know, but I think Dean is dealing with a much different problem than we initially expected." Mackland reasoned.

"So after that display I'm honestly supposed to believe that everything was just peachy at this place?!"

"I think for Dean, having normal only for it to be ripped away was worse than any other punishment that could be offered."

Caleb ran a hand through his hair, "Maybe."

"We'll talk to Jim when he gets back, okay?

"Yeah," Caleb glanced back towards Dean's closed door, "Yeah, okay." He let out a sigh.

Mackland understood the sentiment, he didn't feel much better either.

~TH~

Reviews:

Sensue: It really is sad. Thank you!

StefKroner: I am most certainly NO fan of John. His bad far outweighs his good.

Andra B. Thank you! You're wish is my command ;)

Meilean: Thank you! Honestly I really appreciate when people tell me that my story brought them to tears lol. It feels like some sort of accomplishment. John... is who he is. Not much more to say about him lol. I'm nicer to him in Brotherhood stories than I am to him normally simply because I'm at least attempting to keep the characterization given by those before me lol. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Guest: Well here's at least some of them. We'll hear from Jim in the next chapter.

EmilyAnnMcGarrett-Winchester: Jim definitely wasn't happy with John lol. Caleb is the best. Thanks!

Shazza19: It really would be tough. Caleb warms my heart, him and Dean together is always so good! And yeah John is kinda a coward when it comes to his son.

Guest: That makes sense. While I do not like John and tend to write him a complete jerk, in this particular story he does love and care for Dean he's just really bad at showing it and also self-centered. Hope that helps.

Well, I hope you enjoyed that to a degree. Poor Dean is a mess. Caleb cares he's just too close to the situation right now to think completely clearly. Mac is the calm voice of reason like always.

Please, please let me know what you think!

There will be at least one more chapter where Jim speaks to Dean but aside from that I am unsure.

Thank you for reading and I would GREATLY appreciate a comment/review!

God bless,

Jamie