Hey guys! Thanks for all the views and reviews, I really appreciate it! Sorry this chapter is short, but I felt this would be a good place to end. Hopefully the next one will be up soon!

I don't own supernatural.

Chapter 3

Dean woke up feeling refreshed and Michael free. He stood from his bed and made his way to the kitchen, a lightness in his step present that hadn't been there for a long, long time.

"Hey, Sammy!" he called.

"Yeah?" he answered warily, not sure how to take in Dean's lighthearted tone.

"You want some eggs? I'm makin' breakfast." He smiled to Sam as he held up the carton. He would have offered to make Cas some too, but he couldn't see him anywhere. "And where's Cas?"

"It's two o'clock in the morning; he's sleeping, like most normal people," sassed Sam.

"Do you want eggs or not?"

"Sure," he replied off handedly, going back to concentrating on whatever he was doing on his laptop.

"How does this place even have wifi?" Dean asked.

"I got installed it."

"Oh," That's perfectly normal; the bat cave now comes with wifi! he thought sarcastically as he went back to working on the skillet, "how do you want them?"

"Doesn't matter."

"What are lookin' up?"

"I think I may have found us a job," he replied.

"We have a job, Sam, remember? Angels walking the Earth."

"Yeah, well, I think we need a break." Sam stood up and came over to Dean, brandishing a plate for his almost finished eggs. "It's in New Orleans."

"What's goin' on?"

"People are disappearing, all men over the age of twenty one."

"Any connections besides that?"

"Not that I can see yet." He looked at the scrambled eggs on his plate. "I should have asked for an omelet."

"Well, you didn't. Enjoy."

"Thanks." Sam sat at the table, and Dean noticed that he was waiting for him to come over before he began eating. He quickly finished making his eggs and went over to join his brother. "You want to tell me what's going on?"

"What do you mean?" He knew exactly what he meant, but he wanted Sam to ask him.

"You're not sleeping, you've lost weight, and you're drinking a lot more, too." Dean had expected Sam's voice to be angry, chiding even, but not this. His voice sounded tired and sad, and it threw Dean.

"No, Sam, I don't want to tell you what's going on," Dean began and then sighed, "but I will." He looked up from his food and saw a surprised look on his brother's face, and Dean knew he had been preparing for a fight. "I told you about my dreams of Michael, right?"

"Yeah," Sam answered carefully.

"Well, he's doin' more than just showin' his ugly face." He paused to take a bite of food. "He wants me to break him outta jail."

"He wants you to get him out of the cage?" Sam asked incredulously.

"Yeah, and he ain't nice 'bout it either." Dean paused again, unsure whether he should tell Sam about Michael wanting to use him again. He decided he'd lied enough to Sam, "And he wants to jump my bones."

"That doesn't make sense."

"What doesn't make sense?"

"That he thinks you would even consider setting him free." Sam looked at him pointedly, but Dean averted his gaze, not wanting to see the disappointment come across Sam's face as he realized Dean had considered it, taking into account Michael's threat of throwing Sam back into Hell. "Dean, don't tell me…"

"Okay, I won't tell you." Dean threw his plate into the sink and began turning for his room when Sam stood up to stop him.

"Why?" was the only question he asked.

"He threatened to drag you back down there." Dean still wouldn't meet Sam's eyes, because he knew what lay there. Disappointment and heartbreak; things Dean couldn't handle right now.

"He can't, Dean." he answered and put his hand under Dean's chin like he was a child, forcing him to look his brother in the eyes.

"You don't know that," Dean huffed, "If Cas was able to pull you out, why can't Michael pull you back in?"

"Because I have you." Sam said simply and with absolute conviction. "If anyone in the world can keep me safe, it's you."

Dean looked at Sam and saw the belief there, the trust, and knew that the kid had put his faith in the wrong man. For what Sam had announced as his greatest sin, letting Dean down, Dean knew that his was a lot worse. His had always been the lack of faith he'd had in Sam, the lack of trust. To have Sam hold him in such high esteem as to trust him, again, with his life, broke Dean's heart. He knew he would never be enough for Sam, knew he could never protect him the way their father had wanted, the way he wanted. He only ever let Sam get hurt or killed.

"Sam…" he began to voice his thoughts, but was cut off.

"Dean, whatever you may be thinking, I believe in you. You'll keep me safe, because it's your job, and you've never failed before."

"But I have." he answered coldly, matter-of-factly.

"I don't think so." Sam pulled him into a hug, knowing Dean would hate it and refuse at first, but then would allow it to happen and be grateful.


"New Orleans?" Cas asked as he sipped some coffee.

"Yea, you want to come with us?" Sam replied.

"I do think it would provide a nice break from everything that's going on," he answered. "Yes, I'll come."

"Alrighty!" Dean exclaimed, "Get your stuff packed and let's hit the road!"

"Stuff?" Cas asked quizzically.

"Yea, you know, clothes and weapons and salt. Lots of salt." Dean answered, grinning.

"Oh, of course." Cas rose to start packing his stuff and Dean went to get his. Within a few minutes the three boys were ready to go and threw their duffels in the Impala and set off for New Orleans, Sam and Dean in front with Cas in the back.

Dean glanced in the rearview at Cas and then stole a look to his right at his brother. He realized then how much having his family together made him happy, happier than anything in the world could. For a moment, he didn't feel guilty that he sacrificed the world to burn so that he could have his brother. He didn't feel like the selfish bastard he thought he was for doing that, but instead he just felt, he guessed, at home.