Sam ignored the calls and texts from his brother saying he was in the California area if he wanted to meet up. He has one more week of school, and he had tests galore. Though he did have two weeks off after that, he was going back to Beacon Hills with Jess, and celebrating the holidays with her family.

The tests went by rather quickly, and Sam was well on his way to law school. He was going to get through school on his own with scholarships he earns and a minimum wage job at the local Grocery store. The J.B Society for Teens was a huge help . Sam had no clue about the society until he found his brothers pamphlets, that if looked at properly was directed to hunter children, he supposes Dean wanted out of the Hunter life at one point, either way the programme has made the last few years without his family a lot easier. The morning of the 6 hour drive, Sam contemplated giving Dena a call, but before he could hit send he decided against it.

Driving up to the Moore house Sam remembered the first time he came to this house he was 13 years old, nervously waiting to take Jess to the sock hop dance at school. Now it seems like a home to him, Joshua and Katheryn welcomed him into the family and he was never happier then here with them. Sam and Jess sat and had a nice homemade meal, and settled into the house where they were staying until after the New Year. Sam planned on doing his Christmas shopping tomorrow in town and would let Jess and her parents catch up.

After a breakfast with the family, Sam did as planned and headed towards his favorite book shop in search of a journal for Jess. That was an easy gift, she loved to write recipes in it. Sam decided to go to a coffee shop nearby and got himself a hot chocolate, and a cake. Sam hid himself in a quiet corner booth, and watched the people come and go.

Sam was just about to get up when he seen a very familiar face, his brother, walking in with a not too familiar face, but it was unmistakeably Peter Hale, he was in the news quite a bit. Peter held his brothers attention so well that neither noticed him even as they sat on the other side of the booth, and Sam sat so still not knowing what to do, except peek at the back of his brothers head.

"Dean, I thought you told Talia your phone was going to be turned off, put it down for half a second would you."

"Sorry Peter, and I said my hunting phone that is off. It's just I haven't heard from Sammy in years. The only time he answered is when I changed my number, then after that nothing. For two years. "Dean sighs. " I just, does he hate me that much." Sam felt a little bit of guilt, but his brother could have left with him.

"I don't know, Dean. I am sure if you explained how much you have given up, like that full ride to any Ivy League school you wanted, especially after your year here." Sam's eyes went wide, he didn't know that.

"I couldn't leave him alone with dad, and I also had Little Star to think about."

"And that's another thing, how many scars do you have from protecting him, or because he did some dipshit thing like run away." Sam now did feel guilty, he remembers the bruises and long hours of work dad put Dean through after the Flagstaff incident.

"The scars fade." Dean says quietly.

"On your skin yes, but Dean you still flinch when Erik or the Sheriff even as much as talk to the kids in a stern voice, and that's not mentioning the face that if the kiddies accidentally break a glass you actually jump."

"I'm not that bad," Sam bit back a snort, before the words actually registered in his head, he used to think it hilarious that Dean big bad hunter always looked so scared when glass broke. But now he was rethinking his entire childhood. "Okay, maybe you have a point, but it's not like he will hear me out, I can't even get a text. I have to literally track him down, even after I helped him run away after his graduation." Wait what, Sam did it himself.

"I bet he doesn't even know what you had to go through so John wouldn't find him." Dean visibly shuddered "I am curious though if you could tell Sam everything would you. Or would you still protect him from the life you have always led." Sam waited for an answer. "The life you still lead making sure John doesn't go and drag him back."

"Maybe, maybe not. I don't know. If it would get him to talk to me I would in a heartbeat."

"Dean he spends so much time running away from you, maybe you should give up on him." Sam saw Deans head shoot up.

"I can't, that's like my prime directive."

"Don't speak geek at me, and anyway Captain Kirk always broke the Prime directive, maybe just this once you can break it too, let Sam go. For at least a year, maybe two." Sam sat still in the silence that followed the statement. "Of course, if anything happens that changes, but maybe your new year's resolution should be look after yourself."

"I … "Deans shoulders slumped and the two leaned towards each other. " I can do that, it's not like he chose a short course, he will still be in Stanford in a couple of years." Sam's eyes widened when he saw Peter lean even further across the table and cupped Dean's face.

"Exactly Darling, it will be good for you, you'll see." What happened next made Sam frown Dean instead of verbally responding just grabbed Peter's hand kissed it and dropped their hands until they were resting on the table "Come on Dean, I am sure my sister will send search dogs after us soon." Dean chuckled at that and allowed himself to be pulled up and into a kiss, making him blush then smile. Sam watches as Peter led his now smiling brother out into the busy street still holding hands.

Waiting another 10 minutes Sam left the Coffee shop as well and headed to the mall, in search of gifts for Jess's parents, and as he mindlessly wandered he thought about his brother and all the things he doesn't know, Sam sighed, maybe he should give his brother a chance. Sam quickly chose a few items for the couple he adopted as his own family, and walked outside into the crisp air, he took a deep breath and held it, just the way Dean taught him to acclimate to the temperature quickly. Sam was struck with heart breaking clarity, that he successfully pushed his brother away, it was too late to give him a chance. He was so busy ignoring everything to do with hunting, he never realized how much of a safety net Dean was. The phone calls letting him know that Dean was safe and still alive, the dive by checks that Sam was aware of, and probably a lot more that he wasn't aware of, the updates on demon activity, or what needs to be hunted in California, if only to let Sam stay away from those areas. All that information is now stopping, the monthly phone calls, and the invites to go to hunter bars, information on Uncle Noah, and his family, even the latest Bobby stories, all of it will stop. Sam slumped in his car, and rested his forehead on the cold steering wheel. Sam was an idiot.