Dean and Cas rode in the back of Bobby's car in silence. Dean caught both Bobby and Ellen casting nervous looks back at him in an attempt to prompt him into speaking. Since Dean's admission that he knew he was a Winchester, they hadn't said anything. Thankfully, neither did Cas. he looked pointedly at Dean when they made eye contact, but made no further attempt to force Dean into talking about his birth family. To be honest, Dean was just looking for an escape. He didn't really want to talk about anything with Sam and John. He didn't know what to think. Sure, he had always wanted to know who his family was. He had never regained the memories, but was always desperate to know – if he really admitted the truth – if they loved or cared about him. But that didn't mean he didn't love his family – Joey, Lucy and Mike. They were there for him, raised him. He practically helped raise Joey from a baby, something he probably did to Sam too. He knew he didn't to talk to Sam and John, but there were so many things on his mind at the moment. The special children – Sam being one of them. Yellow eyes with a plan. Him and his powers with Michael – they still weren't completely explained, he didn't even know how he got them yet. All he knew was that he wasn't one of the special children like Sam was. When they reached Bobby's he would talk to John and Sam, no matter how awkward it may be. Dean shut his eyes, drifting into a dreamscape. This time he met Michael in a forest.

Dean stood in the middle of a forest, surrounded by towering green trees. The ground was dark with soil, with foliage littered everywhere. There were flowers growing beneath the trees, bright hues of orange, pink, purple and yellow. Dean lifted his head. The sky was dark, covered in clouds. A few scarce rays of sunlight penetrated the clouds and shone within the forest. Faint sounds of animals and birds singing was heard. It was peaceful here, Dean mused. It was always peaceful in the dreamscapes.

"where are we?" he turned around to look at Michael.

"a small section of the Amazon rainforest. Beautiful, isn't it? I am still occasionally awed by the beauty found in the Earth" he admitted.

"yeah that's great and all, but why am I here? Not that it's not nice to see you, but I'm seeing you a lot more frequently now."

"Dean, we must talk about what happened." His eyes softened. "I apologise about your mother's injury"

"no problem, Cas was there to heal her up straight away"

"We must also talk about the Winchesters. About what you learnt"

"I don't really want to talk about that" Dean immediately turned sour.

"Dean" he sighed softly. "You have discovered your birth parents. It must be difficult"

Dean remained stubbornly silent for a few moments. Then reluctantly spoke: "I always wondered who they were. Now I've found them. I don't really know much about them" he confessed.

"I can tell you, if you are ready to learn" Michael offered him.

"…yeah"

"The Winchester's are good hunters. Mary Winchester was murdered when Sam was six months old. Azazel fed Sam demon blood to activate his psychic powers. It is something he has done to several of the special children" Michael began. "Your father-John, took you both and raised you in the hunter life. Taught you how to use a gun, about supernatural creatures. You raised Sam whilst he was hunting most of the time. He did neglect you. The day you lost your memory, you were attacked – by simple humans before you ask. You told Sam to run, he did. You managed to crawl into the back of a car, and was put in hospital. You lost your memories. Sam and john believed you dead. You were raised with the Smith's."

"if you knew this, why didn't you tell me?" Dean asked him, growing furious.

"Dean, all things must come to pass" Michael told him passively.

"All things must- are you kidding me? I've been around my biological family for days Michael and you could've – but didn't, tell me! Explain it, and give me a better reason than some two bit quote found on sweaters"

"Dean, please understand, you cannot be overwhelmed. You're sensitive to-"

"I'm sensitive! I'm sensitive" Dean laughed aloud. "Tell me the truth. Now" he demanded.

"I cannot tell you everything at once. You must come to your own realisation, it's the only way. Trust me, we cannot be overwhelmed- that is to say, just wait"

"fine. Is there anything else I should know?" Dean asked, rolling his eyes.

"nothing too pertinent at the time. But make sure you speak to John and Sam, they are your family. Sam is your younger brother, and he is at threat from Azazel. We must not let Azazel get his hands on Sam" he stressed severely.

"and why not? Or must I come to my own realisation about that aswell?" dean asked sarcastically.

"will you listen to me?" Michael asked.

"Yes" Dean intoned.

"Fine, what I am about to tell you is of importance. Do not disclose it with anyone" Michael told him. "Azazel's ultimate plan is to release- to release Lucifer from his cage"

"Lucifer?" Dean was aghast. "Satan? The Devil?" he was shocked. This was Azazel's plan?!

"Yes" Michael winced. "He plan's to release Lucifer from his cage in hell so that he can rule once more"

"huh. I always thought Lucifer did rule hell. You know, the whole 'better to rule in hell than serve in heaven' quote and all that" dean mused. Michael tilted his head to the side.

"Yes. Whilst he did believe that, it is not necessarily what happened"

"so how will Azazel get him out?"

"it is a complicated process that involves Lilith, one of the most menacing and dangerous demons in existence."

"who is Lilith?" dean leaned forward, definitely intrigued.

Michael turned his head to look at the scenery of the forest for a few moments. "She was the- she was the 'Eve' before 'Adam and Eve' if you understand" Michael explained slowly.

"No shit. Adam and Lilith"

"yes. She fell, and became one of the most powerful demons. She was the first demon Lucifer created. He turned her to prove to father that humans were fundamentally flawed. She will release Lucifer if given the chance"

"Surely that's not an issue? You kicked Lucifer's ass one time, you can do it again" Dean shrugged. Then he was thrown off guard when Michael slammed him against a tree, his eyes narrowed in anger.

"woah man, what the hell?" Dean yelped, pushing against Michael.

"do not say that" Michael threatened.

"what's the issue? You're suddenly sensitive over Lucifer"

"Dean, please try to understand. Lucifer is my brother, my younger brother. To cast him out-" Michael suddenly looked vulnerable. "to cast him out was one of the most trying, most difficult things my father had ever asked for. I- I almost lost faith" he confessed. "I raised Lucifer when our father had other business to attend to. And he strayed – he lost faith, and for that he was punished! He was cast down into Hell, and my father was not strong enough to do it…so I did it. I betrayed my brother who I raised. And when I returned I was praised for it. Praised for casting down my brother and a third of all the angels. Nothing was ever the same after that" he whispered brokenly.

Dean was unusually silent. He couldn't imagine the pain Michael was feeling. He had never thought about it before.

"if Lucifer is released, the Angels will expect me to fight him again. And I will – I must if it means saving the world. But I – I dread it" he whispered forlornly.

"man, I cant imagine what that feels like" dean said sympathetically, running his hand across his face.

"but you can Dean, or should have some idea. Look at the way you raised Sam" Mihcael told him knowingly.

"unfortunately I uh … I don't remember sam or raising him" dean told him sheepishly.

"that is easily rectified" Michael smiled. He stepped forward, every step crackling the twigs beneath his feet. He reached out his hand and touched Dean's head. Suddenly, it was like Dean was in a dream within a dream. He was barraged with flashbacks of him and Sam.

"Dee, Dee, what's for breakfast?" Sam tugged on Dean's shirt.

"What do you want Sammy?"

"I dunno…what do you want?" he asked shyly looking up at dean.

"lucky charms"

"than I want lucky charms too!" Sammy yelled enthusiastically.

"I guess we're both having lucky charms then!" Dean smiled happily, lifting Sammy and spinning him around.

"I'm scared Dean, what if there's a monster under the bed?" sam asked dean, his eyes wide and terrified.

"Well, I'll be sleeping next to you, and have a gun to fight off any monsters. I promise they wont get to you" dean vowed, tickling Sam on the side.

"okay Dean, I trust you" Sam smiled up at him sleepily, before turning around and falling asleep.

"Ouch it hurts Dean!" Sam had fallen down running too fast. He was currently laying on the ground clutching his knee, which was bleeding.

"Sammy Sammy, it's okay" Dean told him, wiping away the tears.

"But it hurts" Sam wailed.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry" Dean apologised, clutching Sam close and kissing him on the forehead. Dean was only a child but couldn't ever imagine feeling more pain than he felt now. He never wanted Sammy to feel bad, not ever again. It was his duty to protect him.

Sammy had been crying non-stop. Sometimes his cries were loud and consistent, other times quiet and trembling. John had gotten annoyed at Sam's tears and had left the house in a fit of anger, leaving a four year old Dean with a newly orphaned Sam. Dean picked up the crying Sam in his arms gently. Sam immediately begun to quiet down, his tear soaked eyes opening briefly.

"shh it's okay" Dean murmured soothingly. "hey Jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better. Remember to let her into your heart, then you can start to make it better" he sung softly. It was the same song mom used to sing to him when he had nightmares, and it seemed to work for Sam. Bit by bit, Sam grew quieter and quieter until his tears eventually stopped.

When john arrived in a drunk stupor, it was to find Dean nearly asleep on his bed, with Sam asleep on his chest.

When dean exited the flashback, the way he felt was…was difficult to explain. Before this, he had no memory of a baby Sam. But, but since the flashbacks, it was like he remembered everything. He didn't of course, but he felt an entire lifetimes' worth of love and affection for Sam. He could still feel a baby Sam in his arms, felt the sorrow when Sam felt pain, felt protectiveness for Sam. In what was simply a moment, Dean now knew what it was like to be Sam Winchester' older brother Dean Winchester. And he now understood what Michael had meant.

"now you see Dean, what I feel. Raising Sam, being raised alongside Joey, if you were asked to cast them out – could you do it? Raising Sam in place of an absent father, much like I did, could you do it?" Michael asked him once more. Dean simply shook his head wordlessly.

"we're…we're more alike than I thought" Dean commented. Michael did not reply, by cocked a head. "well…we're both older brothers, who raised young brother's because our dads were gone. Your brother was a bit…evil" that was really underdoing it. "and mine could be….well, he might go down the path Azazel wants" Dean shuddered at the thought of Azazel getting his hands on Sam, on raising Lucifer.

"yes. Yes we are" Michael said seriously, his dark eyes meeting Dean's. Then the forest, with Michael standing in the middle, disappearing in a haze and dean awoke.

"Dean, we have arrived at Robert Singer's home" Cas told him. dean grunted tiredly, rubbing at his eyes and sitting up.

"yeah" dean responded gruffly, opening the car door to get out. Instantly, he caught sight of Sam and John waiting outside their car – what a beauty she was!- looking intensely at dean. Dean breathed in heavily. It was now or never.

"uh, you guys go in. I'm gonna-" he gestured to Sam and John. Bobby and Ellen nodded understandingly, walking up to the small house and entering. When they had entered, dean walked over to sam and john who looked as nervous as dean felt.

"hey" Dean told them.

"hi" Sam said shyly whilst John simply nodded.

"so I know what I said before wasn't really…wasn't" Dean broke off. "So listen, I realised you guys were my family when we fought those demons" he began. "I had a flashback, of um…Mary? Mom?" he winced at the wording. "She was pregnant with Sam. Then I had some more flashbacks, of Sam crying, and tomato rice soup, and Hey Jude and…and basically a whole bunch of stuff" he told them. Sam and john seemed to lighten up at that, John going so far as to smile tentatively.

"I don't want things to be awkward. You are my brother and dad" their smiles grew wider, "but Lucy, mike and Joey did raise me. They also are my family, family isn't just about blood. We all want Azazel dead. We'll deal with that, and then after…we can get to know eachother?" he suggested tentatively.

"yeah" Sam coughed once. "yeah, I'd like that. We thought you were dead" he blurted out. "We searched and looked but…but we couldn't find you. I'm sorry" he admitted.

"no it's cool. I had a pretty good upbringing so it's…"

"did they treat you good? Raise you right?" John asked gruffly, his eyes intense.

"yeah, yeah they did" Dean grinned. "they really did"

"that's good. I owe them" John confessed.

"so, what do you want from us? Should we say, or not say something?" Sam asked hesitantly.

"No no, it's…we'll take it slow. I'll call you john, if you don't mind – for now at least" he looked at John who nodded in agreement, even if he didn't look happy. "we can talk, you can tell me about mom" he looked to john. "I remember her smile, her soup and singing" dean smiled along with sam and john.

"sure, we can tell you" John agreed. "and you can tell us about you? About what you remember, if you get memories back"

"yeah, that's great" Dean smiled. "Well one thing I can tell you, is that I love your car. She's a beauty" he complimented the '67 Chevy.

"Yeah, you loved her even from young" John smiled. "you can take her for a spin if you'd like" he offered.

"sure, that'll be nice. Maybe we should head in for now? Get to work" he suggested.

"Okay Dean"

Together the three Winchester's walked towards Bobby's home, each one of them more enlightened. Dean felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest. His past was unravelling more and more, and he was interested to find out what was next. To find out what was next with his family.