Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural, sadly.

Set: Pre-series

Main characters: Sam, Dean, John

Ships: None

Ages: Sam's nine. Dean's thirteen.

Chapter One: Healthy Fear of Vamps

"You gave me a shoulder when I needed it"

'give you the moon' by Kina

Sam was still new to the whole hunting thing. Well, that didn't seem like the correct way to describe it. Nothing had changed, not really. Their dad would still disappear for days on end. Dean still slept with a gun under his pillow. Sam still never stayed at a school long enough to make friends.

It was easier, though. Knowing.

John disappeared to protect people from monsters. Dean slept with the gun to protect Sam from monsters. Sam never stayed in the same school to stay safe from, you guessed it, the monsters. And now, Sam could be a protector too…

He frowned.

Why did that seem so... awful?

Sam hated the supernatural. The monsters. All of it. He hated hunting and he hadn't even been doing it a whole year. Or, maybe that wasn't the issue, the monsters that is.

Maybe the issue was that the young boy thought everything deserved to live. Because didn't they? Monsters didn't choose to be born that way.

Staring outside of the window of the Impala, Sam watched as rain droplets raced each other down the glass pane. The nine-year-old kept finding himself keeping an eye on one of the droplets, willing it to win with all his might. He was at a steady winning streak at the moment, having guessed the winning droplet four times in a row already.

Just as he was choosing another raindrop to bet his streak on, Dean shifted in the corner of Sam's eye, pulling his attention away from the downpour outside. His big brother had been sleeping for the past couple of hours they'd been driving, and hope lit up Sam's gaze. If Dean woke up, there was a chance they could do something interesting. Play a game that didn't involve staring at water.

But Dean, instead of turning to Sam, leaned forward, wedging himself halfway in the front of the car, and halfway in the back. "What's the hunt?" he asked their dad groggily.

Sam tried to forget the snap of worry that crossed Dean's face when he asked. As if on instinct, he had whipped around to see if Sam was awake. Just to see Sam's open, but sleepy eyes, stare back. Suddenly the teenager seemed apologetic. Sam felt like he should probably say something. "It's okay. You don't have to sugarcoat anything," he paused. "Not anymore."

The older brother didn't seem very assured but switched his attention back to John. Sam found himself wanting to zone his father out, but his ears didn't seem to agree and he simply absorbed all the information being spoken.

"Vampires, 'm pretty sure," John answered, his gaze not once leaving the rain-slicked road. Sam's gaze landed on the puddles on the ground and suddenly didn't like the storm they were in. It had provided about an hour of entertainment, but if it caused a crash…

Without really thinking, Sam shifted closer to Dean, his scrawny hands gripping his older brother's arm. Dean, who seemed to take it as a fear of vampires, tousled the kid's hair. "Don't worry, Dad can handle a vampire."

"Vampire nest." the father corrected. Sam didn't know if he was bragging about being able to take on a whole nest or scolding Dean for thinking there was only one vampire.

Clearly, the teenager didn't seem to know either, and he tensed up slightly. "Sorry, Sir," he murmured. John didn't reply, and Sam rested his head on Dean's shoulder, trying to make him feel better for getting a really simple thing wrong. This caused the older brother's attention to return to Sam, and he gave a grin to the boy. "The vampires won't hurt you. I swear, Sammy."

"Don't swear, that's bad," Sam teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"Bitch," Dean countered, and for a moment seemed tempted to push Sam off him playfully, but instead, his arm wrapped around the gaunt kid.

Not about to let him have the last word, Sam blabbered off the first thing that came to his mind, while also being aware of John's distaste for kids under ten swearing. "Jerk!"

John grumbled in the front, something about how he was sure brothers shouldn't fight as much as they did. Dean, overhearing the words, swallowed and stared out the window. Lowering his voice to a volume he hoped only his brother could hear, Sam kept his head rested on Dean. "I'm not scared of vampires, by the way." he wanted to make sure Dean wasn't worried about him.

His mini distraction seemed to work as the teenager looked down at Sam, studying his face. "Good. There's no need to be. Now, you should sleep, Sammy," Dean's hand ruffled through Sam's hair again.

"Not…" Sam's words broke off as a yawn maimed his ability to speak for a moment. "Fine. 'Night, De."

Resting against Dean, the young boy found himself finally allowed to be pulled into a light slumber. Dean's closeness never ceased to soothe his thoughts, clearing room for sleep that Sam so often needed.

It had taken them a while to get the right town, as Sam found himself sleeping for hours and waking up to more road. At least the storm seemed to be clearing up because the boy couldn't hear the pattering of the rain anymore. Dean and John were talking, though nothing they said shared the same connection Sam was sure he had with his brother.

It was like they were both talking to brick walls. To strangers. Sam tensed. Had they been fighting? Dean didn't argue with their father a lot, so if they had argued… it had to have been about him. Guilt enclosed around his heart, forcing it to skip a beat. Dean's hand rubbed up and down Sam's arm to comfort him. Or maybe they were just tired. Sam didn't blame them.

"It's okay, Sammy," Dean murmured softly under his breath, he sounded worried.

Realizing his older brother must've thought he was having a nightmare or something, Sam allowed his eyes to flicker open. His gaze drifted from Dean's welcoming face to outside the car. The rain had indeed stopped, but it was dark out now. Chills ran through the young kid's spine. What monsters lurked in the shadows that were now surrounding them.

The darkness of the outside seemed to change in a flash, quite literally, as a motel's lights lit up to welcome the Impala. "Oh good, we're here," he mumbled tiredly.

"Is that sarcasm?"

"Me? Never." joked along with Dean, who heaved him away as a response. Sam wouldn't deny the flicker of sadness that fluttered through him at the movement, but he said nothing. Just turned his attention to the motel, his keen eyes already scanning across everything with words.

The signs announced they had a pool and breakfast. But the neon words of 'breakfast' seemed to have been turned off or burned out. Not that Sam would've been able to eat there anyway. As for the pool part, Sam didn't even think he'd owned a pair of swim trunks since he was six.

John had a… less than preferred way of teaching his sons how to swim. Ways that included throwing Sam into a deep body of water with no help and no experience. That… hadn't ended well. So yeah, to say Sam didn't really like swimming was an understatement.

It wasn't any of the signs that caught Sam's eye though. It was the vending machine. "Dean," he suddenly pleaded, trying his very best to activate his puppy dog eyes. "Can I please, please borrow some money? I can get you some candy too, promise."

His brother snickered in amusement, and he tried to catch John's eye, but his father was too focused on parking to notice. "Yeah, sure," Dean decided, pulling out a five-dollar bill from his pocket. "Don't waste my money." the older brother warned, seeming one hundred percent serious. Sam gave a resolute nod and glanced over to John.

"I'm gonna get something from the-" John, seeming flat-out exhausted, just parked and got out of the car. Sam, realizing it would be pointless to continue, stopped, flashing Dean a smile and slipping out of the car.

He was racing toward the vending machine the moment his shoes splashed into the puddle on the asphalt. Dean's five dollars was waving in the wind as he jogged, and Sam's gaze caught onto the billowing green bills with amusement. It was like a cape. Cape cash. He ran a bit faster, not noticing where he was running.

Not noticing what he was running into.

Now until it was too late, at least, and the young boy ran right into a tall, fit young woman. Head jutting up to look at who he'd run into, Sam let apology wash over his face. "Oh! I'm sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going…"

The woman smiled.

Sneaking a glance past her, at the vending machine, Sam bit his lip. "Well, sorry for running into you, lady," he wasn't getting very positive vibes about this woman, despite her pearly white simper. When he made a move to walk past her, the stranger stepped in front of his path. Panic swelled in Sam's stomach and he glanced over his shoulder. Dean wasn't in the car anymore.

"Oh, don't be sorry…" the woman winked at him. Then she smiled again, and Sam saw them. Fangs! Sam let out a shocked yelp, stumbling backward only to have the woman, the vampire, grab onto his arm and yank him toward her. "Where do you think you're going? Your blood smells too delicious to let you run off…"

Sam, having not done nearly enough research on how to kill someone -something- like this, just lashed out at her with his fists. He landed one pretty solid blow, but she didn't even wince. Her eyes just lit up with wrath. The vampire's nails, claws, dug into his skin, drawing blood. She let out a trill of excitement at the sight, pulling Sam into a more shaded area.

"Dean!" the young boy cried out.

The vampire, annoyance flickering through her gaze, backhanded Sam. The frail kid was flung backward, back practically cracking at the impact. Then the monster lunged at him. Sam clenched his eyes shut, not wanting to see this part.

Blood sprayed onto his face instead of the pain he'd been expecting.

"Sammy!"

At the familiar voice of his brother, Sam let out a terrified wail, his eyes flashed open to see Dean rushing toward him. A decapitated body rested on the floor behind him. The young kid tried to move to embrace the Winchester approaching him, but agony burned through his entire body at the movement and he let out a pained whimper.

"What is it? What's wrong? What did the bitch do to you? Sammy. Sammy answer me, please!" the amount of fear in Dean's voice was enough to cripple Sam into stunned silence. His older brother was wiping away the blood that had splattered across his face with a sleeve, and instantly Sam felt guilty for staining the shirt. "Sam!"

That last part sprung Sam into action, well, at least it seemed to spring his tears into action as they streamed down his cheeks. Dribbling down his chin and soaking his shirt. He just wanted Dean to hold him, but couldn't move without hurting his back even more. "My back," he croaked. "It hurts… so much!"

Dean swallowed in worry, before picking up the sword he'd brought -Sam hadn't even noticed it until now- and handing it to Sam. "Hold this," After he did as he was told, Sam felt Dean slip his arms under his, picking him up with a heave. "God, you're heavy!"

"Sorry," Sam offered. The shock was wearing off, being replaced with plain anxiety. As Dean carried him bridal style, Sam kept his sword gripped tightly in his hand. "Ow," he hissed when Dean's hand shifted a bit.

His older brother didn't respond, but Sam could feel the guilt wafting off the teenager. The youngest Winchester made a mental note not to complain anymore. He'd only hurt Dean more.

Luckily, the room they were staying in wasn't too far from the vending machines. Unable to knock and carry Sam, Dean simply kicked the door a couple times. "Dad! Open the door!"

After about the fourth kick, John flung the door open. He was angry. For about two seconds before he saw the bloody condition of his two sons. Shock plastered his face, but it lasted about as long as his anger as he pulled Dean and Sam inside. "Sit him down on the bed. What's wrong with him?" John asked hurriedly as he locked the door.

Sam groaned in pain when he was set down, but the moment the pain was gone, he missed Dean's touch. He felt so cold now, without Dean holding him and whispering that he was going to fix everything. Now it was just this quick back-and-forth between father and son.

"He says his back hurts. And the vampire threw him into a wall…"

"A vampire threw him?"

"The vampire's dead now."

"You?"

"Who else?"

"Good job, Dean," John said, resting a hand on his eldest son's shoulder briefly. Sammy felt his heart skip a beat with happiness that Dean was finally getting the compliments he deserved. But then, when Sam tried to move to get more comfort, red-hot hurt burned into his back and he let out a muffled sob. Both his father and brother were at his side in a flash.

John began questioning him on the number of fingers he was holding up and what his name was. To which Sam just whimpered and looked to Dean in worry. "I can't move my back, De! It hurts!"

Guilt swamped his brother's green eyes. "I know, Sammy, I'm so sorry! But answer the questions, okay?"

It took a moment for Sam to gather himself, but he nodded slightly to Dean. "Um, four fingers. My name is Sam Winchester. I didn't hit my head but my back hurts! Did I break it?" Panic flooded his and Dean's gaze. "Dad, what if I can't walk again? What if I hurt my spinal cord or I need a wheelchair or-"

"-Sam!" John's sharp tone silenced the boy's panicked cries. "You probably just broke a bone or two. You're gonna be fine… Dean, I need to go to the store and get some sort of pain-killers for him, you make sure he's alright, understood?"

"Yes, Sir," Dean answered automatically, choosing not to say the part where he questioned if it would be best to leave the two sons in the motel. His dad knew what he was doing.

John was out of the door in seconds. Leaving a very stunned Sam and a very worried big brother. Two brief seconds passed where nobody moved, and then the little brother bit his lip to try and ward off tears. "I…" he didn't know what to say. Apologize? Cry? Toughen up? The last seemed nearly impossible because he was trying to toughen up but it just… it just hurt so much!

"You're okay, Sammy," The older Winchester murmured, gently shifting Sam to the side a bit and laying down beside him. Sam had been laid on his back, which had ended up the least painful, but it made comforting him a lot harder when Dean couldn't just wrap the boy in his arms. "I've got you and I'm sorry I let that happen, okay?"

"Sorry?" Sam whispered hoarsely. "Why… why would you be sorry?"

Dean stared at the wall, seeming extremely ashamed. "I promised the vampires wouldn't hurt you and they did so I didn't do my job… So yeah, I'm sorry, okay? Do you…" he was growing agitated, never having been the best at apologizing. "...are we good? Do you hate me? D'ya wanna to punch me?"

"Yeah,"

Surprise lit up the older brother's gaze. "Huh?" Before he could question which question Sam was answering, he spotted a cheeky grin on Sam's face. "God, you're such a bitch!" he teased, shaking his head dramatically. "So ridiculous.

The smile on Sam's face suddenly faltered, looking not so sure anymore. "Dean?" he asked, actually seeming… fearful?

"What?"

"I don't want to hunt anymore. I… I don't think I can. I don't think I'm strong enough…" tears were welling up in the child's hazel eyes. "Please don't hate me!"

Hate him? Dean could never. Sammy was his little brother, and nothing could make him think differently. Carefully draping an arm over the child to comfort him, Dean felt Sam bury his face into the older brother's shoulder. Gingerly, the teenager rubbed the young boy's arm, letting him cry. "There's no way in Hell I could hate you."

Sam's sobs were listening, but he still quivered and sucked in a breath, his lungs desperate for air, every once in a while. "I love you, De…"

"Yeah, yeah, same here, bitch,"

"Jerk."

Sam had a feeling their not-so-nice but also completely loving nicknames for each other were something that was going to stick. And he also found himself surprisingly not hating the idea.

Author's Note: Okay SO this book is basically going to be a collection of one-shots based off of the song 'give you the moon' by Kina. Every chapter will have a piece of the lyrics of the song and then I'll write a one-shot based off of the each of these little lines. When you add up the little bit of lyrics in each chapter, it'll end up being the entire song! I thought this was a really cool idea so I'm trying it out. I love and appreciate reviews! ALSO, I was over here planning ahead and I may need some prompts for these lyric parts:

"Cause you are, you are
The reason why I'm still hanging on"

and

"And if death was coming for you
I'd give my life for you."

So if you have any ideas for those, your help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you stick around to the end! The prompt rules are;

-Dean and Sam must both be in it.

-Sam must end up hurt in some way.

-It must have something to do with the lyric piece.

-No brothers that die and stay dead.