Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or its characters

Dean woke slowly the next morning, feeling relaxed. He and Sam had turned in after watching Rocky, and for the first time since Jess's death he hadn't been awakened by his brother's distress from yet another nightmare.

Sitting up slowly, he surveyed the room, noticing that Sam was no longer where he had left him last night; in fact his brother's bed was made. He listened for movement coming from the bathroom, hearing none and with the door closed; worry started to creep through him.

As he was about to get out of bed, he heard the familiar sound of the key in the door, and let out the breath that he didn't even know that he was holding. Carrying two cups of coffee and what looked like a bag of doughnuts was his little brother.

Dean couldn't help it, and the minute he opened his mouth he knew that he was going to regret it.

"Jesus Sam, what happened to leaving a note when you're going out? You trying to give me a heart attack or something?" He just couldn't help himself; the words just flowed out even as he watched Sam's head drop in resignation. God he had spent all of last night trying the pick him up, and he had just ruined everything in one foul swoop. He watched as his brother raised his head but wouldn't meet Dean's eyes.

"Sorry Dean, I just thought that after you went and got the stuff last night, that I should do my fair share and get breakfast. I didn't think that you would be up before I came back. Sorry." Dean watched as Sam moved away from him and placed the food and coffees on the table.

"No Sam listen, I'm the one that's sorry, I was just worried and I took it out on you. Seriously dude, my bad!" Holding his hands up, and plastering a smile on his face, he watched his brother carefully, trying to see if Sam would accept his apology.

Sam looked up at Dean and nodded. It was then that Dean noticed the dark circles under his brother's eyes and he realised that Sam didn't have the nightmare free night that Dean has thought he had.

"I should have left you a note though, and I will next time."

"Ah don't worry about it. Now what did you bring for breakfast, better be something good."

Sam laughed, and handed Dean the coffee, then tore open the bag, which Dean had correctly identified as doughnuts.

"Will this do?" he asked

"Yeah, it'll do." Dean answered, as he grabbed two of the doughnuts in one hand and a cup of coffee with the other.

Dean sat down and watched as his brother sat across from him drinking his coffee, noticing that Sam was making no effort to eat.

"Dude, did I take the one you wanted or something?" He asked, knowing that the real reason for his brother not eating had nothing to do with the choice of doughnuts that were left.

Sam didn't answer Dean, he sighed, reached his hand out and grabbed a doughnut. What worried Dean was the sigh; it wasn't a sigh of frustration but a sigh of defeat. Sam seemed to be drowning in depression and defeat since Jess had died. As he watched his brother, Dean couldn't help the feeling of helplessness that started to come back. He shook his head, he knew that he couldn't fall into that place, Sam was already there and he couldn't help his brother by being there with him, he had to be on the outside if he was going to get Sam out.

"Do you want the bathroom first?" He asked, keeping his voice light.

"No man, I already showered before I went for breakfast." Sam said as he played around with a piece of the doughnut that he had pulled off.

Dean's head snapped up as he looked at his brother, and couldn't help wondering just how long his brother had been up. He wanted to ask him but didn't want to push Sam away by doing so. Starting to laugh as he asked his brother.

"So would Rocky not get up after Apollo put him down?"

Sam looked at Dean, feigning annoyance.

"Funny Dean. I was awake, so I had a shower and went for breakfast." With that Sam was back pulling at his doughnut.

"So it was Ronald McDonald, instead of Apollo that put Rocky to the canvas?" Dean said, putting on his trademark smirk.

"Dude, when are you going to let it go, I was three for God's sake. It's not my fault that they had that stupid McDonalds ad on when Rocky was on. I mean seriously, how could they not know that a tall guy with white paint on his face, red lipstick and a big red wig wouldn't scare the crap out of a kid."

Dean couldn't help but laugh at his brother's rant.

"It's good to see you have moved on and let it go! Oh man it was funny though, you'd freak out every time there was an ad for McDonalds on TV or you were in the back of the Impala and saw the golden arches. Did you know that cause you freaked out so much, if we had to move somewhere new, Dad would check to see if there was a McDonalds there?"

Sam almost choked on his coffee and Dean couldn't help but laugh.

"You're just making stuff up now Dean." Sam said as he went the brightest shade of red.

"I'm serious dude, you would freak out so much at the mention on McDonalds that you wouldn't sleep for a week, come your bed time you would be fighting sleep. You're very cranky without sleep you know. Anyway there was no pleasing you once you got it into your head, so I think Dad just wanted an easy life and he done everything to ensure you never heard, saw or ate out of McDonalds."

Dean watched, as Sam seemed surprised that his father would go to such lengths and it surprised Dean, surely his brother knew that their father would do anything for him. But then he remembered how Sam had believed that their father hadn't gone to Palo Alto when Jess had died because he thought that their father hated him.

"I can't believe that Dad would do that; I mean I thought he thought I was stupid." Sam said as he finally ate a bit of the doughnut.

"Dude, you were like three, I mean we weren't going to judge your stupidity level at that age, although the fact that clowns still freak you out, I am starting to wonder…."Dean said, again putting on his trademark grin and lifting his eyebrows at his brother.

"Alright, thanks for breakfast. I'm going to head for the shower, if you start packing up our things we can hit the road and be on our way to Bobby's in the next hour?"

"Sure, that suits me fine" Sam said, as Dean got up from the table and headed to the bathroom.

As he closed the door behind him, he closed his eyes and gave out to himself, how could he have gone off at Sam like that? He had worked so hard to try and get back on track, how could he turn around and do something so stupid? Letting out a sigh, he stepped away from the door.

Standing at the sink, he moved his hand to his razor, but as he did so he knocked over the toothpaste that had been situated perilously close to the edge. He watched as it fell from the sink and made its way into the bin. Silently cursing, he bent down and began to pick the toothpaste out of the bin. It was then he noticed a discarded cloth covered in blood. He knew that the bin had been empty when they had arrived and he certainly hadn't been bleeding so that only left one possibility, Sam.

Tbc...

Thanks a million for the reviews so far, please keep letting me know what you like and don't like.