"Hey – hi. I - uh – I came to say thanks."

Sam sat himself in the last pew of the small chapel, turning sideways on the wooden seat to fit his knees behind the next pew in front of him. He looked toward the small altar fitted into the small alcove at the front of the chapel. Painted on the wall over it was a pastoral view of St. Joseph, lily in one hand, hammer in the other, and a white dove hovering over his shoulder. Sam fixed his eyes on the dove; that was the image that represented God to him in that picture, that's who he was talking to.

"I just – I had to say – thank you. I – Dean's safe." Tears filled his eyes and spilled over. "I mean – you know that. Right? You're the one who saved him. So you know, you know he's safe." He wiped his face and pushed his hands into his pockets because they were shaking. He cleared his throat.

"Just – it didn't occur to me – not until I was coming in here just now – you – the other night – when I was outside praying the other night, I didn't know Dean was already safe. I didn't know that or I wouldn't have – I wouldn't have -." He shrugged. " - bothered you. I – um – I just – Dean's safe. He's just safe. "

He had to wipe his face again. "He's across the street, at the diner. With Bobby. We're heading to Bobby's for a little 'regroup and reunion' that's what I heard Dean call it. He said that to Bobby. I don't know if I was supposed to hear him or not. But – that's when Bobby said he was gonna hotfoot it home and we could just get there when we get there. You know? It's gonna take us fifteen hours or so to get there and I just – I mean – Dean's safe and – and – I think – I think Bobby knows how much – how important – Dean's safe – and I can't wait to be stuck in the car with him for fifteen hours."

A warm breeze blew through the small room and Sam looked out the open window next to the first pew. Outside he could hear traffic and voices and life seemed so much brighter than it had just a few days before.

"I coulda hugged Bobby for saying that." Sam said, turning back to image of the dove. He smiled. "But I think I woulda got doused with holy water for my trouble. And Dean said if I don't stop grinning at him he won't look at me anymore. I told him it was just his tough luck."

He wiped at his face and his neck and ran his hand through his hair before pushing his hand back into his pocket. He was trembling.

"Dean's safe. You don't know what that means to me. I mean – okay, you do. I know you do. It's kinda hard having a conversation with somebody who knows everything." He smiled again, though tears were still falling. "It's kinda easier too. I don't have to lie about anything. I don't have to hide anything or watch what I'm saying or wonder what you're going to think. I can just talk. I mean – Dean's safe and that's everything to me.

"I don't know if you brought him back for me. I don't know why you would. Unless it was to shut me up." He managed another smile. "But if whoever you brought him back for doesn't thank you – or even if they do – thank you. I – I – Dean's safe. I don't know how many times I'll have to say it before I believe it. Pastor Jim used to say 'faith means when you pray for rain, you carry an umbrella', and I prayed and prayed for him to come back and then when he does – first thing I try to kill him. So I guess I failed that one, hunh?" He smiled and cried and wiped his face and hunched over a little because of the emotion pounding in his chest.

"Dean's safe and I can't think of what else to say but thank you. I mean – for all the praying and – and – begging – and – and – whining I suppose –." He smiled again and really thought God would be smiling too at that. "For all that, you'd think I could think of something more to say than just 'thank you' but – what else is there? There isn't anything else. Dean's safe and there isn't anything else I want. I mean – I know people always says 'give me this and I won't ask for anything else' but I know I'll be asking for more stuff. It's the job. It's just – but you want to be asked for stuff, don't you? You want to be needed, don't you? Or you wouldn't have made us. I think."

He took a deep breath and wiped his face and curled his hands into fists in his lap.

"Thank you for bringing Dean back. I know I could – I should - be thanking you from now until - whenever – but if I don't remember – if I'm busy thinking about something else – well, I guess I'll remember whenever I look at Dean, won't I? Dean's safe. I don't need anything else."

There was a noise behind him and he turned to find Dean looking around the half-closed door.

"Hey, there you are. You weren't in the big church part, I wasn't sure where you got to. Bobby wanted to get on the road and he wouldn't leave until I came in here with you. He didn't want to leave me alone – so…" He didn't finish the sentence but Sam thought, 'I know how he feels'. Dean pulled his holy water flask out of his pocket. "I'm gonna go fill up with the good stuff while we're here. Let me know when you're ready."

"Okay."

Dean ducked out again and Sam stood up, wiping his face and taking another deep breath.

"Thank you." He said again, whispering so Dean wouldn't hear him. "I wish there was some better, some bigger way to say it. I guess I'll just keep trying. I better get out of here now before Dean tells me if I'm praying so much I better be praying for pie." He smiled and felt again that God was smiling too. "I'll talk to you soon."

He walked out into the front hallway of the church. Dean was at the far end filling his flask from the holy water dispenser.

"You ready then?" Dean asked. "You need to make a stop at the 'Little Brothers' Room' before we leave?"

"Dean. I'm not seven."

"I'm just asking." Dean said, sounding peeved. "I know how you get."

"I'm fine, okay?"

"Okay. You whine like a seven year old." Dean muttered. Then he turned that look on Sam, that 'big brother happy to be with his little brother' look. "So – you're ready? Got everything you need?"

"Yeah." Sam said. He couldn't help smiling. "Yeah, I've got everything I need."

The end.