Johnny had listened to the doctor's instructions carefully and paid especially close attention to the directions for the prescriptions, and then he made sure to talk to Marlee about everything as well. Having been told about the dangers of each drug, but also the little 'shortcuts' in dosing, he knew that he'd be able to control any pain he felt without falling into the trap of addiction. Marlee gave him her numbers with the strict instructions to call at any time if he even suspected the regiment they devised wasn't working, and to call as soon as he realized he didn't have to take as much as directed.

Dean made sure to gather up everything and have it ready to go for when the doctor handed over the release papers. He knew that his brother was going to have a tough time, but he was determined to be there every step of the way. Knowing that he had been lucky enough that he was able to take a few days off without being penalized, but he'd have to go back tomorrow; he was relieved to know that Johnny and Ellie would still be at the house where everyone could take care of them. Now he just had to find a way to convince his little brother that it was ok to be looked after.

John and Mary had debated about moving Johnny into Dean's room so there would be less chance of disturbing his healing arm. However, since they hadn't been able to convince Johnny to let Ellie sleep in the next bed, they came to the conclusion that they needed to leave things as they were.

Bobby and Caleb had parked around the corner of the Winchester's house and watched the Impala pull into the driveway and its occupants start to unload. It was obvious that Johnny was still under the weather, but the family was rallying around him. Bobby looked at Caleb and saw the concern there.

"So, what do you think?" he asked the other hunter.

"I'm thinking that this kid's plate is overflowing, and we need to make sure no one else adds more to it."

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Having been home for about two hours, Mary was expecting something… else? She had no idea what to expect, but from the raised voices upstairs it was obvious that her peaceful household could easily turn into a war zone and she had no idea why. Having convinced John that everyone would be ok while he ran over to the shop to check on things, she was trying to make sense of Johnny's med schedule; she couldn't make figure out what was written. He had asked her to make a chart so even if he was 'on the really good stuff' he wouldn't be able to 'screw it up' but now she was wondering if she'd be the one messing the whole system up instead.

Hearing heavy footsteps coming down the stairs she could only assume that it was Dean and he was upset. Looking up as he walked into the dining room she could tell that she was right, he was.

"Hey Sweetheart, what's wrong?" she asked, putting the medicine to the side for the moment.

Dean was pacing the length of the dining room and could barely get the words out. "Stubborn… idiot… just helping… see if I… damn it!"

Mary was still trying to figure out what he was talking about when Johnny and Ellie walked in. Seeing that whatever happened had put a strain on her youngest, she was about to jump into both of them for being so careless when Johnny spoke first.

"Look, Dean, I appreciate the offer, I really do. But do you think that you'd let anyone try and touch your pants if positions were reversed?"

Swinging around to face Johnny, Dean exclaimed, "DUDE! You needed to go to the freakin' bathroom! You can't fasten your…"

Seeing what grabbed Dean's attention, Mary had to laugh. "Looks like he's already thought it through Dean so give him a break." She said as she looked at the pair of sweatpants that Johnny had somehow managed to change into. "As for you young man, you need to allow us to help you more, understand?" she asked while noticing the smug look on Dean's face, and Johnny rolling his eyes in response.

"Fine, I'll try, but I'm not promising anything." Johnny said as he sat down and allowed Ellie to climb in his lap. "Any luck?" he asked, motioning to the medicine bottles in front of her.

Distracted she shook her head, "Not really, your dad will probably have to deal with this… he's so much…" Her words caught up with her and she looked up suddenly to see what his reaction was. "Johnny, I'm…"

"It's ok, I get it. Look, if it's alright with everyone, I think I'm going to lie down in the living room and let Ellie watch a movie."

Nodding their agreement, both Dean and Mary watched as the two youngest members of their family walked away. "Oh Dean, what have I done?" Mary asked, thinking that she had pushed too much.

Smiling, Dean shook his head. "Nothing Mom, you're fine. He's tired and he's still trying to get used to the idea of a whole other family here waiting for him, that's all."

Still worried, Mary promised herself that she and Johnny would talk about it after everyone else was asleep; she couldn't mess this up, she just couldn't.

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John had been on the phone to the insurance company for over an hour and wasn't getting anywhere. Somehow they got it in their head that since Johnny re-injured his hand, that it they wouldn't have to pay for it. It hadn't made sense to him when they first explained it, and it still doesn't make sense. Hanging up the phone, he knew that tomorrow he'd be back on the phone again arguing with someone else.

"Hey John, how's Johnny doing?" Mike asked knowing just by the look on his friend's face that things weren't going according to plan.

John looked at his friend and knew that he could spin a tale or tell the truth. "Couldn't be better."

Mike smirked as he shook his head. "Ok, well, look if you guys need anything make sure to let us know."

Nodding, John could only watch Mike walk back out into the garage, not certain what to do next. Finally, he picked up the phone and called a familiar number.

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Dean needed something to do, but he also didn't want to leave his brother and Ellie. Watching the little girl he knew that she and Johnny had a special bond, but he hoped that one day she would include him in her elite group. Noticing the time, it occurred to him that it could be close to time for Johnny's meds, and no one would know.

Seeing the bottles on the dining room table, he looked over the instructions as well as Marlee's notes and he saw what she had done. To make sure that he had a constant supply of pain relief, she formed a way to stagger the different medicines for optimal effect. He had to admire her for thinking about it, and so took out a piece of paper and made out his own schedule based on what he remembered Johnny had already taken at the hospital. Looking at what he had listed, he saw that his brother wasn't due another dose for anything for another half hour; giving him a sense that he hadn't let his brother down already.

"Oh good, you were able to figure it out. This is good Dean, now just need to make sure we follow it." When she saw the look on her face she realized what she said. "I didn't mean it like that… of course we'll follow it, it's just a busy family like ours can loose track of what we're doing easily."

"Mom, I know that there's a lot going on right now, but if you're not sure that you can keep him on this schedule, say so; I'll go to the academy after his hand's better."

"Like hell!" a voice in the doorway yelled, causing both Mary and Dean to turn around and face a very upset Johnny. "Look, I get that you want to help, and I appreciate it… I really do, but you need to chill out. I'm not dying, and I'm not a total cripple so quit acting as if I have to be supervised 24/7!"

Dean was shocked at what he heard; he hadn't meant that Johnny couldn't take care of himself or Ellie, just that extra assistance was probably necessary for a little while. Not sure what to do or say, he looked at his mom and noticed the same surprised look on her face. When they both turned their attention back to Johnny they noticed his confused expression and were about to ask about it.

"Damn, I'm sorry… uh, could you call Marlee for me? She said to call her if anything strange happened, and I think this would qualify." Johnny said quietly, unnerved by his outburst. He knew that Dean and Mary only wanted to help, and he also knew realistically that if he had to take care of Ellie by himself at the moment it would be more than a little difficult.

Mary quickly got through to Marlee and explained what happened, then listened intently as the other woman gave her opinion of what occurred. "Ok… yes, I can pick it up right now… thank you so much… oh that would be wonderful… yes, see you then."

Curious, Dean listened to his mom as he watched his brother. Something had just happened, and he wanted to know what. Finally, he got an answer, and it wasn't one he was expecting.

"Marlee suspects that the Valium they gave him earlier caused the outburst, and she's going to have another prescription called into the pharmacy to be given only if needed."

Watching Johnny's reaction, Dean noticed a slight acceptance from his little brother and that bothered him. "So why didn't they figure it out before now?"

"Because it was the first time they gave it to me. They probably thought that any reactions would have shown up before we left." Johnny said not wanting to look at Dean, he felt like he had let the other man down somehow.

Walking back in with her purse, Mary nodded in agreement. "That's exactly what she said. Now I'll be back in a little while, and then I need to start dinner. Oh, by the way, Marlee's coming over to check on you and will be staying to eat with us, so both of you need to be on your best behavior."

Johnny and Dean looked at each other in shock. When weren't they on their best behavior?

AN: Hope you enjoyed... let me know!