Author's note: A big thank you to everyone who took the time to review! You have no idea how elated I feel whenever I get a review.

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The next few days passed by like a blur, with the adults taking a break from hunting while watching the two youngsters play with each other in Jim's yard, reveling in the warm Minnesota summer. A lot of the times, Joshua or Caleb would join Sam and Dean in their games of tag and hide n seek like the big brothers they were, while Bobby played with their blocks and army men with them, and Jim took over story times.

It was on the fourth day when the happy and relaxing atmosphere was interrupted.

"Who the heck emptied the whole fridge in their belly and didn't restock?!" Jim said incredulously as he opened the fridge to extract the ingredients needed to make breakfast and found it nearly empty.

Caleb turned red "Sorry Jim, guess I forgot to tell you." The teen said sheepishly.

Just then, Sam, who had been quiet ever since he woke, burst into tears. Bobby, who was the closest to him, picked him up and held him close "What's the matter tiger?" he asked softly as Joshua rubbed the toddler's back.

"I wan miwk." Sam wailed then buried his face in his uncle's neck.

Jim jumped to action, pouring what was left of the milk and heating it. Then he poured it into a sippy cup and quickly handed it off to Bobby who was still holding the wailing child while Joshua and Caleb tried to make him stop by attempting to make him laugh and soothing him. As soon as the sippy cup was lowered to his lips, Sam stopped crying and nestled into his uncle's chest while holding the sippy cup with one hand, while his other was around Bobby's neck. Bobby in turn, steadied the cup while Sam drank the milk.

Joshua and Caleb sank into chairs around the kitchen table just as John and Dean came down the stairs.

"Morning… what's wrong." John began cheerfully only to change tone when he detected the tense atmosphere in the kitchen.

"Nothing it's alright now. Sammy just wanted milk, and someone ate the entire fridge." Jim summarized as he gave Caleb a pointed look.

"Bobby and I can go into town and get some groceries." John offered.

"Or we can just eat out at the breakfast place ten minutes away from here. We're starving and getting groceries will take too long." Joshua pointed out.

"Alright let's go." John said as he grabbed the car keys and started to head out the door only to be cut off by a wail.

"Daddy." Sam cried as he reached for his father, milk forgotten.

John frowned at his baby's unnatural behavior but took him and cradled the boy to his chest nonetheless. Sam usually loved to be held by his uncles and surrogate big brothers and wasn't one to reach for John when they were around. He made a mental note to figure out what had gotten his baby upset as he steadied Sam with one arm and took Sam's sippy cup from Bobby.

"It's okay tiger, daddy's gotchu." John soothed and offered Sam the milk which he took eagerly and began drinking again, feeling content in his father's arms.

The men filed out of the house and got into their vehicles. John began putting Sam in his car seat only for his youngest to start wailing again.

"Okay, okay buddy. I'll stay with you." John said softly as he slid into the backseat with Sammy in his lap, tossing Joshua the car keys, while Dean slid beside him and Caleb rode shotgun. In the meantime, Bobby rode with Jim in his car. The hunters then rode to the breakfast place.

The afternoon found Caleb sitting on the couch watching as Sam played with his blocks on the floor by his feet, Joshua having changed his diaper after waking up from his nap 10 minutes ago, while Joshua worked on a Latin translation in the dining room. John and Bobby had taken Dean out to go shopping for groceries while Jim was preparing for a sermon in the church.

Truth be told, Caleb was worried about the youngest Winchester. The usually energetic boy was extra quiet today. He didn't even join when Joshua pushed Dean in the makeshift swing tire Jim had built for the boys in his yard.

He was pulled out of his musings as Sam abandoned his blocks and crawled up Caleb's lap.

"What's the matter tiger?" Caleb said softly as he pulled the toddler closer only to frown at how warm the small body felt. Placing his palm on the toddler's forehead, he grimaced at the heat he found there.

"Josh?" he called out.

"Hmm." Josh said absentmindedly, his focus on the text in front of him.

"Come quick."

Josh noticed the concern and alarm laced into Caleb's voice because he got up quickly and approached Caleb and the child curled in his lap, sucking on his pacifier.

"Does he seem warm to you?" Caleb asked, wanting to make sure he wasn't imagining things.

Josh gently placed his palm on Sam's forehead and winced at how hot it was.

"I'll get the thermometer." He said as he got up and rushed to where Jim kept his first aid kit. Opening it up and taking out the thermometer, he headed back to Caleb and Sammy.

"Sammy buddy can you open you mouth for me?" Joshua asked gently as he tried to get the pacifier out of the little guy's mouth only for Sam to let out a noise of displeasure and turn his head away, burying it in Caleb's chest.

Joshua sighed, knowing there was no way they could let Sam open his mouth. He began to gently remove the sick toddler's T-shirt, eliciting a whine from the youngster.

"Sorry, I'm sorry buddy." Joshua soothed as he gently placed the thermometer under Sammy's arm who whimpered at the contact of the cool metal tip with his fevered skin but said nothing just sucked on his pacifier and burrowed into Caleb who stroked his back and pressed a kiss on his head.

Joshua held the thermometer so it wouldn't get dislodged from under Sam's arm until it beeped.

"100.9, no wonder you've been cranky all day tiger." Joshua said as he read the numbers and gently put Sam's shirt back on and the thermometer on the table. He then went to the cupboard and pulled the children's Tylenol, measuring a dose then mixing it with some grape juice in a sippy cup, knowing from past experience that Sam wouldn't take it if he knew it was medicine.

Returning to the living room, he knelt besides Caleb and stroked the sick child's brow. Sam turned his large hazel eyes to look at Joshua and blinked lethargically.

Joshua smiled "Hey buddy, I've got you some juice." He told the child soothingly as he held the sippy cup for the toddler to see.

"Duice?" Sam said around his pacifier.

"Yeah juice, do you want some?"

Sam nodded and used the hand not clutching at Caleb's shirt to remove the pacifier from his mouth and accepted the sippy cup.

Both Joshua and Caleb, who knew that Joshua had spiked the juice with Tylenol, internally sighed with relief when they saw Sam drain the small quantity of juice, and therefore the medicine as well. As soon as the little one was done, he popped the pacifier back in his mouth, snuggled against Caleb even more and drifted off to sleep.

Joshua pressed a kiss to the sleeping child's hot forehead then got up, placed the sippy cup in the sink and went to the phone. Dialing the number, he grimaced as he heard John's gruff voice knowing that the father would instantly panic.

"Winchester."

"John, it's Joshua. Are you still in the stores?"

"Yeah, Bobby's getting the chicken then we're paying and out of here. Need anything?"

Joshua grimaced "You might want to buy a digital ear thermometer."

"What's wrong?" the alarm was evident in John's voice.

Joshua sighed "Sammy's got a fever. But he's refusing to open his mouth and I for one don't want to remove the kid's shirt every time to take his temperature from under his arm. An ear thermometer would save us a lot of time and trouble and make him more comfortable."

"How high?"

"100.9" Joshua replied and heard John's footsteps stop over the phone.

"Alright, keep an eye on it because you know how fevers and Sammy work."

Sam, ever since he was a baby, would spike the highest fevers whenever he got sick, sometimes warranting a trip to the hospital for an IV as not even Tylenol would make a dent in it.

"Don't worry John, he's in good hands. Kid's sleeping with Caleb now."

"I know. Jim have any children's Tylenol?"

"Yeah, we just gave him some spiked grape juice."

Joshua could almost imagine John's smirk "I hope you've spiked it with Tylenol not something else." John teased.

"Bye John." Joshua growled and hung up, shaking his head at the absurd thought that they would even think of introducing Sam, or Dean for the matter, to alcohol.

Returning to the living room for the third time, he almost busted out laughing at the expression on Caleb's face as he held a sleeping Sammy.

"What's gotten your panties in a twist?" He said in a low voice, laughter evident in his tone.

"I got to take a leak man, but I don't want to wake him up." Caleb shot back, desperation in his voice.

"Give him to me." Joshua said as he gently untangled Sammy's hand from Caleb's shirt and carefully lifted the toddler to his own arms. Sam stirred and let out a whine as he opened his eyes when he felt himself removed from his beloved Caleb.

"Shh, it's okay Sammy. It's just Joshie. Go back to sleep tiger." Joshua soothed the toddler as he sat down on the couch, Sammy cradled to his chest.

Sam, comforted that he was safe with his big brother, who was just as comfortable and beloved as Caleb, closed his eyes again and fell asleep once more.

Both men let out a sigh that the transfer had gone without an incident then Caleb darted towards the bathroom to relieve himself. He returned three minutes later with a wet washcloth which he delicately placed it on the toddler's hot brow.

He then sat next to Joshua, by Sam's head which was nestled in the crook of Joshua's arm and stroked the soft baby hair. Both Caleb and Joshua hoped that the youngest Winchester would get better quickly, and that it wasn't anything serious.

But they both knew deep down that there was no such thing as an innocent fever. Not when the youngest Winchester was involved. They just hoped that the baby of their family would come out of this okay and quickly.

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