Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural, or John, Dean, and Sam Winchester. I only own the plot.
A/N: Just to clarify this, Dean is 22, and Sam is 18. Sorry for the long wait!
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"Dean, can I talk to you?" Sam asked from the doorway to Dean's room.
Dean looked up at Sam, then back down at the gun he was cleaning.
"You can always talk to me Sam. You don't have to ask," Dean answered. When Sam hesitated and didn't answer right away, Dean put the gun down and looked at Sam expectantly. "Sam? What's this about?"
"I.. Ummm... I applied to some universities a while back, just to see if I would get in one. I got accepted at Stanford, for law Dean," Sam said quietly, not looking at his brother until he said his name, to see his reaction. Dean looked indifferent.
"Well, good for you Sammy. I always knew you were smart. But you've got no money to go," Dean said. He picked up the gun he was cleaning, and started cleaning it again, thinking that ended the conversation about going to college.
"I have a full ride Dean," Sam said slowly, wondering how Dean would take the news.
Dean stopped cleaning the gun, but didn't look up at Sam. Sam took that as a good sign and plodded on.
"I'm going Dean. You know I'm not a hunter. This is my way out, to have a normal life," Sam finished quickly, hoping Dean wouldn't get mad at him for thinking of leaving.
Dean paused for a moment before he looked up at Sam, his face showing a little anger. Sam took a deep breath and waited to hear what Dean would say.
"Sam, were not normal. We fight the supernatural, something people don't believe in. And what about Dad? Are you going to leave without telling him? You know he won't let you go. And what about me Sam? You're going to leave me alone with him? You're just going to abandon us, your family, for your own selfish life? Come on Sam, think!" Dean retorted.
Sam thought about all those points, and regretted telling Dean that he was leaving for Stanford that night.
"I'm going Dean, and I'm telling Dad tonight," Sam answered, then left the room. Dean sighed and knew what was coming. Another argument, then Sam up in his room ripping up the letter, and wondering what he was thinking. At least he would be staying, Dean thought.
Dean finished cleaning and putting back together the gun, and then headed downstairs to start cooking supper and wait for their father to get home. Dean had just started the potatoes when John walked into the kitchen and sat down wearily.
"You kill it Dad?" Dean asked.
"Yeah," John answered simply.
Dean nodded and concentrated again on the task at hand. He was trying to remember if you put salt in the water or not to make it boil faster, when he heard Sam come down the stairs and drop two bags at the front door before walking into the kitchen.
"Hey Dad," Sam said, while grabbing a chair and putting his acceptance letter in front of John.
"What's this?" John asked.
"Just read it," Sam urged.
John picked up the letter and began to read it over. His expression turned from mild interest to a cold stare as he continued to read the contents of the letter. He finished reading the letter and put it down, then proceeded to fold his hands together. He looked down at his hands for a few minutes in complete silence, before he started to speak.
"When did you apply to Stanford?" John asked, keeping his tone neutral. Dean stood in the background waiting for Sam to answer.
"During grade 12, when you're supposed to," Sam answered somewhat snobbily.
"And when did you receive this letter?"
"A while ago, but I finally decided a few days back that I was going."
John looked up from his hands and had an angered expression plastered on his face.
"So you're going?" John asked, staring directly at Sam. Dean knew what was about to happen, and took his leave, going up to his room. Before he went in his room, he looked in Sam's and saw that it was empty, except for a few books and pictures. He knew then that Sam was leaving, no matter what their dad said or did.
Dean couldn't hear what was being said, until the yelling started. Dean cringed when he heard Sam yelling that he wanted to be normal, and that he wasn't a hunter.That comment cut into Dean's heart deep. He knew Sam wanted to be normal, as he had since childhood, but didn't think that he would take it to this level. That he would abandon his family for himself to reach it.
But then Sam surprised Dean all the time: arguing with their stubborn father, doing all his school work, actually applying to college, keeping it a secret from him, hunting when he said he wouldn't. And know to add abandoning his family, Sam was risking breaking up the family forever, something Dean needed desperately. It was all he had left, and he didn't want it to break up because of one argument.
Dean started crying, hearing his father and brother at it, once again. He sat on his bed, listening to the yelling about families, hunting, himself, school, almost everything. It seemed like it was all arguments combined into one, it cut deep, more than any of the others dad done so, combined.
Dean roughly wiped the tears away when he had heard enough. He was going to stop them, and then try to get Sam to stay, for him, for their family to stay together.
Just as Dean reached the stairs, it grew quiet. Dean listened intently for any other sound to begin climbing down the stairs. What he heard his father say next froze his heart and his feet.
"If you walk out that door, don't ever come back!"
Dean stayed on the stairs and watched as Sam came in view, grabbed his bags off the floor and start walking towards the door. Just as he was about to open the front door, Dean found his voice.
"Sammy?" Dean asked quietly.
Sam stopped and turned to look back at Dean on the stairs. He hesitated before he said anything.
"You know I have to go, Dean. Bye," Sam said then walked out the front door.
When the door clicked shut, Dean unfroze his feet and walked downstairs to the kitchen.
"Why did you let him go, Dad?" Dean asked.
John sighed before answering. "I didn't let him go, Dean. I gave him a choice: him or us. He chose himself."
"I'm going to get him!" Dean said, turning on his heel and starting to walk down the hallway, until a firm hand was placed on his shoulder.
"No Dean. You will stay here and have no contact with him. He made his choice, No phone calls, no going to see him, nothing!" John said.
Dean shrugged his father's hand off and mumbled a yes sir. He quickly said he was going out and would be in a while.
Dean grabbed his car keys and coat when he noticed it was raining. Before he walked out the door, Dean saw Sam's coat still on its hook beside the door.
Dean drove in the direction of the bus station, until he found Sam walking, soaked, and pulled over to the side of the road to let him in.
Sam threw the bags in the back and got in the passenger seat without saying anything. He avoided looking at Dean because he knew he would regret leaving.
After they reached the bus station, Dean and Sam both got out and Dean reached for one of Sam's bags before Sam grabbed it. They walked to the ticket booth and Sam asked for a one way ticket to Stanford. Before Sam could pay, Dean took some money from his wallet and paid for Sam.
"It's the least I can do," Dean stated when Sam started to protest. Sam silenced instantly and cast his eyes downward. Dean walked Sam to his bus and helped him load his bags in the under carriage.
"Bye Sammy, be good, and call my cell sometimes," Dean said quietly, disobeying the order about no more contact with Sam.
"Bye Dean," Sam said, not bothering to correct Dean that his name was Sam. He started to walk to the bus when Dean called him back. Sam turned around and was enveloped in a hug. Dean hugged Sam fiercely, not wanting to let Sam go. Sam hugged Dean back after his shocked subsided. Dean hadn't given him a hug in a long time.
When the bus was about to leave, the brother broke apart reluctantly. Dean took off his coat and gave it to Sam.
"To remember me by," Dean said simply.
"I don't need anything to remember you by Dean," Sam said back, not taking the coat. When Dean continued to hold out the coat, and wouldn't take no for an answer, Sam took it hesitantly, but then quickly put it on.
Sam boarded his bus and sat in a window seat so he could wave bye to Dean. When the bus started moving away from the station, Sam was waving frantically at Dean, with dean waving back. Sam watched Dean until the bus took a turn and he wasn't able to see Dean anymore. He turned forwards in his seat and sighed.
Dean watched the bus pull away, and let a few tears fall. The rain was soaking him to the bone, but Dean didn't care. His heart had died, he had died. Sam had left. His family was broken. Just like ha already was.
Dean slowly drove back to the house, only to find it completely dark. John's truck was gone, and the front door was locked. The only welcome home he got was a note from his father saying he was gone hunting and would be back sometime next week.
Dean was completely alone. His family had abandoned him.
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A/N: I hope you enjoyed the fourth chapter, just as much as the first three. I'm sorry for the long wait, this has been written since last week, but this is my first free day since last Monday to go on the computer. I will try to update this soon, and also Hangman's Noose for those of you that read both.
Happy Hunting!
