Well it's the last chapter, i'm really sad it's ending! I've so enjoyed writing this! A big thankyou to all those who have read and reviewed and for all those who suggested further bubbles! This is for you xx

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter Six

Sam applied another amount of shampoo in his brother's hair. Third time lucky, maybe this time he'd get every speck of soot from his scalp. Sam's mind began to wonder as he worked his fingers along Dean's head and neck. The image of Lori Sorenson, sat outside her fathers house played over in his mind. Dean had said they could stay, could they though? It wasn't wise to get close to anyone again. He'd felt something for her but was it a true romantic feeling or was it a kindred spirit feeling? She'd lost so many people, she could understand the pain of being cursed. Her words played through his mind as he rinsed the bubbles from Dean's hair. 'If you do something wrong you are punished for it'.

Had he done something wrong?

Had he angered someone? Hurt someone? Or was he just plain cursed?

He couldn't tell his brother, but the thought of getting close to another woman again was too scary for words. What if something happened to her? What if he couldn't protect her? He'd failed Jess, he'd failed his mother. He may of only been six months but deep down inside Sam knew he was the reason, the cause, the danger to all those around him.

Yet Dean stuck by him.

He picked up a towel from the floor and rubbed Dean's head. He couldn't help but laugh as Dean sat up with his hair looking just about as messy as Sam had ever seen it.

"What?"

"Dude you have a mullet"

"Shut up Sammy" Dean laughed.

Sam dried his brother, carefully patting his arms of the excess moisture and avoiding his hands. He knelt in front of Dean and reached for the cloth in the sink.

"Whoa dude what are doin'?"

"Dean your feet are filthy, i need to clean your legs and...you know"

"No! No chance in hell dude. That i can do myself"

"Dean you can't get your hands wet"

"And you can't get your hands on the man"

"The man?"

"The man, the man stays dignified and remains a mystery to you"

"Fine. But your feet are filthy and you have grime on your legs so can I at least do that?"

"And only that."

Sam smirked at his older brothers panic. He understood completely, they undressed in front of each other all the time but it was harmless and part of what made them brothers. Having to be cleaned, and cleaned...there...well, Sam could understand Dean's reticence. He was also pretty sure Dean would have help with that area once he'd charmed Suzi.

Sam soaked up the cloth with soapy water and lifted Dean's left leg onto his knee, he carefully cleaned his heal and ankle, scrubbing away the dirt, grime and sweat from his brother's foot. He began to clean in-between Dean's toes when the older man jerked his foot away.

"What?"

"Seriously dude, don't tickle"

"Tickle?"

Sam threw a bemused look at the elder Winchester. Dean was barely holding back a smile in his attempt to be all big brotherly and authoritative. His knitted eyebrows and scrunched lips betrayed him completely.

"Please don't tell me you're still ticklish?"

"What if i am?"

"Nothin' man" Sam laughed.

"What?"

"Just the list of things you're scared of is pretty messed up bro"

"I'm not scared of being tickled Sam"

Sam cleaned in-between Dean's little toes and laughed as his brother tried with all his might to not jerk away. He rinsed the cloth and scrubbed up his brothers leg toward his knee, noting further bruising around the joint. Thank god Dean had toasted Dave when he had. The thought of finding his brother burnt and lifeless next to the grave sent a shiver through Sam. He lifted Dean's leg and scrubbed the back. Glancing up Sam found Dean had leaned back against the toilet and had his head against the wall with his eyes closed. Sam repeated the process with Dean's right leg, although he tried to be careful when cleaning his right foot, another jerk from Dean almost had Sam crashing against the bathroom floor to avoid a broken nose.

"Stand up a sec"

Dean breathed heavily and stood as though it was a big effort. In fact he'd been quite comfortable resting against the wall having all this attention. Part of him didn't want the experience to end. Not that he'd ever, EVER, admit that to anyone.

Sam cleaned Dean's thighs, daring to push Dean's boxers up a bit further to clean as much of his leg as he could. Dean didn't say a word. He trusted his brother to respect his request for little Dean to be left to someone else, someone with feminine hands and slinky, smooth fingers. Dean licked his lips at the thought.

Sam grabbed the towel and dried his brother's legs. He certainly was looking a hell of a lot better and thankfully he was smelling more like the old Dean. His brother, who stood with him no matter what. Who he could talk to about anything, except his reason's for walking away from Lori.

There was another reason Sam hadn't wanted to stay with Lori for a few more days. Another reason that he knew he couldn't share. What was the point in sharing it if he couldn't be helped with it. After seeing Jess on the street corner, so convinced he'd seen her there after the Bloody Mary incident, he knew he was still strongly connected to her.

If he stayed with Lori he'd be cheating on Jess.

How messed up was that? Sam sighed, he still considered himself her boyfriend. Whether she was here in the flesh or not they were still a couple.

"You ok Sammy?"

"Yeah, how do you feel?"

Dean eyed his younger brother carefully. He wasn't going to talk. That was one thing they shared, neither would talk until they were ready. Yet they could read each other like a book. Dean smiled at his baby brother.

"Feel clean"

"You smell better"

"Think Suzi will like it?"

"Maybe if you shave she will"

Dean frowned at his brother and pursed his lips. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily.

"Fine, just don't cut me"

"I'm not going to cut you Dean. Remember who taught me to shave?"

"Yeah, but dude you had to use half a roll of toilet paper on your face the first time you tried it on your own"

"Shut up"

"Seriously man, I thought it was the Mummy come to get me when you walked out of that bathroom"

"Shut up!"

But Sam couldn't help but laugh at the memory. Their father had been off hunting when Sam had first tried to shave. He'd watched Dean for a few mornings and then had decided he'd learnt enough and gave it a go. Only it hadn't been as easy as he'd thought. Dean had laughed at him but had then taken him under his wing. Both standing side by side in front of the bathroom mirror, Sam watching Dean, Dean watching Sam as they had shaved in unison.

They'd kept that up for a couple of weeks until Sam had the hang of it and Dean felt safe enough to let him alone with the razor.

Sam cupped Dean's chin and gently lifted his head back, exposing his neck. He carefully ran the razor across his brothers skin, rinsed and repeated the motion.

Once finished he rinsed Dean's face and gently patted his skin dry.

"Aftershave?"

"Suzi's coming to pick me up"

"I guess that's a yes then"

Dean smiled and licked his lips. He grimaced as Sam slapped a fair amount of aftershave on his cheeks.

"So you won't be back for dinner then?"

"Hopefully not dude. She's a dancer"

"Yeah I heard"

"Uh huh."

Dean closed his eyes as a wave of tiredness crept across his body and embraced him in it's warmth. He hated to admit it but this whole bathing thing had been pretty relaxing. He couldn't wait to get outside though, get into the fresh air . His mind began to drift to all the ways Suzi had said she could move.

"Dean?"

Sam broke Dean from his daze. He stared at him and realised Sam must have been trying to get his attention for a while now.

"You alright Dean?"

"Yeah Sam, just get this over with so I can go and meet Suzi"

"Almost brother. You've got to soak your hands then we're almost done"

Sam went to the main room of the motel and filled a bowl with saline solution. He then knelt in front of Dean and slowly and carefully unwound the bandages and pulled away the gauze from each hand. Both palms were burnt. Second degree. Thankfully not enough to cause permanent damage. The back of Dean's hands had gotten away lightly but were still sore. Sam tried to not notice when Dean winced.

He gently lowered each hand into the solution and watched as Dean visibly relaxed. The cooling sensation was welcomed and seemed to ease the tight discomfort in his skin. Sam carefully swished the solution up Dean's wrist to make sure he got every inch of skin covered.

He then gently dried Dean's hands. His brother looked at him with tired eyes. Partly due to the pain killers but also due to the attention he was receiving from his brother. Dean never would have thought he would enjoy this. He honestly thought he'd end up feeling pissed off and bitter. But he was relaxed. He was clean. He was with Sam and they were alive and together. His hands still smarted but the saline seemed to have such a soothing effect that Sam wrapping his hands with gauze and bandages, although painful, was no where near as awful an experience as it had been in the hospital.

"Not too tight?"

"Nah , it's good Sam"

"Well at least you smell better"

"Shut up" Laughed Dean. He stood up and allowed Sam to help him get his jeans,t-shirt and bootson. It felt so good to be fresh smelling and dirt free. The smell of smoke had finally left his hair. Although he could have done without Sam having to wash it out. But boy did it feel good to finally be free of that smell following him around wherever he went.

That and the body odour that had reached such heights Dean was sure he was a health hazard. He was so grateful to Sam. So thankful for his little brother for helping him to wash. He should really be nice to the little worm.

"Dude you totally enjoyed that"

Well, maybe not nice, maybe just big brotherly.

Sam tried to look shocked, tried to raise his eyes in his perfected puppy dog mumma-take-me-home expression but the smirk on his lips betrayed him.

"What?"

"Dude, seriously, are you sure you're straight cos you were getting pretty friendly in there"

"You're my brother!"

"So you're admitting there's a possibility you're a little bendy?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying!"

"Honestly man it's ok with me. I'll love you no matter what"

Dean walked past Sam and into the main room, he flung himself onto his bed and stretched out. Casting a superior condescending look his brother's way. Sam was still standing in the doorway to the bathroom, still trying to formulate a witty comeback. Anything, come on brain, you could take in pre law why can't you spew out garbage?

"What?"

Great comeback there Sam, pat yourself on the shoulder and do a twirl.

Dean merely continued his grinning appraisal of his brother.

"Dean, I just helped you. You…..you're…..you're hurt and I helped and you accuse me of …..wait…what are you accusing me of?"

"You. Enjoyed. Giving. Me . A . Bath."

Sam again tried to formulate words to smack the smug grin off his siblings face.

He opted instead for slamming the bathroom door and having himself a shower.

There.

That showed him.

Sam stood in the shower for what seemed like an eternity, allowing the warm water to wash away his fears, wash away his doubts. Would he ever be ready to meet anyone else?

No.

Not yet at least. At what point would be consider himself a single guy? Would he every come to that point? Would he ever be able to love someone without the fear of them getting hurt ruining his chance for happiness?

Did any of this matter? Did anything matter?

Dean mattered, finding Dad mattered. Jess, she would always matter. The rest could slip away into the peripheral and drown in the sands of time.

He opened the bathroom door to find Dean absorbed in an episode of Dr Phil. The elder Winchester attempted to quickly change channels when he caught Sam's smirk and raised eyebrows but after four fumbled attempts he gave up and opted instead for frowning at the younger Winchester.

Both jumped at the knock on the door, Sam's concern quickly evaporated when he caught the excitement in his big brother's eyes.

"Suzi?"

"Suzi"

Sam opened the door to a very beautiful, kind looking woman with soft, caring eyes andred hair that was pulled into a carefree ponytail. She held a cup of coffee out to him.

"Hi, I'm Suzi"

"Hi"

"This is for you Francis, Dean said you liked coffee"

"Francis?"

Dean couldn't help but laugh as he walked passed his brother and followed Suzi out the door.

He turned to face the younger man, still holding the cup of coffee with a perplexed look playing across his features.

Dean mouthed the words 'pole dancer'

Sam slammed the door to hide his smirk. Yep, he wouldn't be seeing Dean until the morning.

The End.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I can't thank you guys enough for all the reviews and the great reponse you've given to this story! BIG HUGS and LOVE to you all xxxxx

Oh, and err, TangledPencils? I hope you managed to get to the shop for your 'little friend' xxx