Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to the studio, I only borrow them to play with and I promise they will go back in (almost) mint condition.

Author's note: Many thanks for the reviews people. The time you take to drop me a line is greatly appreciated. Thankyou!! This chapter is dedicated to my fantastic fans. : ) P.S I know I promised to update within a few days and it's now been more than a week. I'm sorry! Enrolling for Uni was more complicated than I originally thought. I hope the wait was worth it.

Little minions of hell

Koomsan County Pound was located about a mile out of town. Dean swore he could smell the stench as soon as they left the bar but for once Sam didn't argue the physical impossibilities of smelling something that was down wind from them. He wasn't going to risk Dean changing his mind. A part of Sam realised that Dean hadn't really given in to his childish prank. We were talking about the man who didn't speak for three months in order to win a $10 bet. Dean wouldn't have backed down from anything. So maybe Dean was just being nice to his kid brother for a change… whatever the reason Sam was going to get a dog. A real, live, breathing, not possessed by an evil veterinarian (don't ask), actual dog. With a tail and everything.

Dean looked across at Sam who was practically hanging out of the window in anticipation. He cruised slowly down the main street just to prolong Sam's agony. He knew Sam knew that any moment he could hang a U-turn and go back to the motel. And Sam knew, he knew, he knew.

The windows were down because it was a stinking hot day so Sam's mop of brown hair was blowing all over the place. He couldn't stop smiling so when Dean stepped on the accelerator and took the Impala up to fifth, Sam looked like one of those dogs drooling out the window, fur all askew.

The pound was a typical building, brown brick veneer home converted into a vet clinic and pound. Sam all but ran to the revolving door, seeming to revert to a 6 year old at the sight of all the puppies.

"One, Sam. You can only have one." Dean replied to the subliminal pouting Sam was sending his way.

Shrugging Sam left with the overweight assistant who had squished pink icing in his grey beard to look out the back.

Dean wandered absently around the front of the clinic, fingering the collars and leads before throwing himself into a much scuffed armchair to wait for his brother.

Sam was in Sammy heaven.There were puppies and dogs everywhere. Little dogs and big dogs and even medium sized dogs. Wow.Sam listened intently to Marshall, the vet assistant, who lectured him on the responsibilities of pet ownership.

"A pet is for life Sam, not just for Christmas"

The fact that it was June was lost on the man but Sam nodded seriously all the same. 'Would you shut up you poor miserable old man and let me see the dogs' Sam thought to himself forcing his body to stand still even though his fingers were itching to pat some puppies. Eventually Marshall unlocked the big padlock that lead to the cages and shuffled in behind Sam who was off like a rocket.

Dean rolled his eyes at his watch; they'd been here for an hour already. What was taking so long? The clinic was supposed to close half an hour ago. Grabbing the black studded collar with the silver bell he'd chosen for Mr Killmouseky (he had to give her back some pride after the hair dye escapade, although she didn't seem to mind being pink) Dean shoved a baseball cap over his own offending hair and went in search of his brother.

He found Sam on his knees with his face up to a cage full of Dalmatian puppies. Their little spots stood out against their pure white background and they all had their little faces up against the bars licking Sam's nose. His brother giggled, he actually giggled. God the boy had no masculine pride. Dean cleared his throat loudly and Sam looked up like a dear caught in a headlight.

"Ahhh…' he yanked his face away from the cage "Hey Dean"

Dean shook his head, letting Sam know that there was no way he was going to live this down. Dean looked around at the cages eyeing each dog off until it looked away. He was the alpha dog here and don't you forget it!

Sam was incredibly embarrassed to have been caught basking in the sheer delight that was puppies. But to be caught by Dean…the brother who still didn't let him forget about that one time when he was three that he ate a caterpillar, was the worst possible thing.

Dean looked around condescendingly at the animals in their cages, his macho stance seemed to say 'Nah nah ni nah nah, you're in a cage and I'm not, so there. "

Sam was so caught up in the hilarious mental image of Dean sticking his tongue out at a group of dogs that he was completely oblivious to the fact Dean was trying to get his attention.

"Oi… Sam…"

"Dude…"

"Oh my GOD it's a clown!"

"Damn girl put your clothes back on, my brother's not interested."

Sam was still leaning against the cage door grinning like …. someone who grins a lot. Dean slapped him not so gently across the head.

"Dude, pick one already I wanna go back to the motel."

Sam snapped out of it. "What is it 6.30 already?"

Dean looked puzzled… "How'd you know that?" he asked checking his watch and noting it was exactly 6.30

Sam haled himself to his feet and smiled at his brother gently. "You're like those mothers who know when their babies need to be fed by like….ESP. Mr Killmouseky rubs against your leg at exactly 6.30 wanting her dinner." He grinned at Dean.

"Your baby needs her mommy."

"I'll kill you." Dean said not in the least bit embarrassed but beneath his clam façade his voice was low with fury.

"One day I will kill you and I won't even feel bad after."

"You'd feel a little bad."

Dean shook his head, giving an old German Shepard a pat through the bars of her cage.

"Yes you would, you'd even cry at my funeral."

"I so would not!" Dean said meanly.

"You'd bawl your eyes out." Dean refused to combat that remark.

"It would be pitiful, you all wracked with heart wrenching sobs, clear blue tears running down your cheeks, you standing alone by my graveside until all the other people were gone. And then you'd throw yourself into the freshly dug dirt, yelling at the unfairness of it all."

"Get over yourself you narcissistic bastard."

Sam grinned, a stupid smile that showed all his perfect white teeth.

Dean looked at his brother from beneath the cap and a shock of pink hair that was curling to his forehead with the sweat.

"Just pick one already." He said yawning loudly in fake boredom.

"I can't choose, I want them All!"

"Well you can't have them all, you can only have one." He held up one finger, the middle one "Count them Sammy O-N-E"

Sam gave him the bird back before turning back to the cages.

"Help me chose then"

"Here's one Sam." Dean said pointing to a small cage toward the back of the room. Sam wandered over and after taking one glance at the dog jumped back in fright. Dean crouched down in front of the cage but kept his distance from the growling dog.

"Oh Sam she'd be perfect, you're the perfect couple. Sammy and Delilah"

The cage above the horrible bald miniature Chihuahua had a brass name plate that said her name. Sam moved away quickly and unlocked the cage of another, less scary, potential pet.

The tiny dog bared her teeth at Dean who grinned right back at the little menace. Obviously the mutt wasn't used to people finding her a source of amusement and she started barking threateningly at Dean's cocky face. Dean waggled his fingers enticingly in front of the cage and she rammed against the cage door wrestling the lock loose.

The next thing Sam saw as Dean lying flat on his back in the middle if the cold tiled floor screaming like a girl.

"Get it off; get it off, GET IT OFF OF ME!!!!"

The Chihuahua had her teeth dug deep into Dean's hand and he swung it about violently, she refused to let go and started to fly around when Dean pulled himself to his feet and shook his arm aggressively trying to dislodge his attacker.

That dog was a suicidal maniac; Sam thought to himself as he stood sheltered behind a column of unused cages with his chosen pet and watched in morbid fascination as Dean tried to extricate himself from the sticky situation.

Eventually, when the blood flowing from Dean's hand was getting to the point where Sam was starting to worry about blood loss, Dean grabbed the thing by its tail and pulled, the dog yelped in surprise and thus let go of her death grip on Dean's hand. Dean all but threw it back into its cage and bolted for the door, leaving Sam to bring up the rear.

Two hours later, after a visit to the hospital to get a tetanus shot and some stiches, a trip to the 24hr store for a bag of M&M's and a bottle of vodka to dull the pain. (Dean refused to take medication unless it was absolutely necessary, he preferred alcohol to Panadol), then a quick stop to the Chinese Take Away place for dinner, Dean finally fed Mr Killmouseky her dinner and flopped into bed, willing this awful day into the far reaches of his memory.

Sam flung a blanket over his brother's unconscious form and got into his own bed, whistling softly a dark shape padded across the room and Sam lifted it onto the end of the bed. His black Labrador puppy was indistinguishable in the darkness of the room but its wet nose against his feet informed Sam that he was comfortable. The little dog snuffled into the blankets Sam had dropped on the end of the bed and breathed out, it sounded almost like a contented sigh.

Sam echoed his new friend's sentiments grinning at the thought if what Dean would say when he heard what he'd decided to name his pup.

"Peanuts."

You know you want too….. Press that pretty purple button and let me know what you think.

Next chapter…. The pets go on a hunt. Yippee!