Disclaimer: None of the Winchesters are mine but I love to think they are! *winks*
Beta: Help! I need someone to beta this story…

Chapter 9

Ten years.

Gary had been working in the hospital for ten years. He had attended to hundreds of patients and had dealt with a lot of attitudes throughout the years but they didn't give him much problem or didn't cause him to break on sweat like he did right now.

Through that decade he had been a tough and rough medical assistant but Gary had never came across a glare as murderous as the one he was getting now – the one that made him wish he had never accepted the task or maybe never even worked there in the first place.

The glare sent a shudder down his spine. It made his hands freeze and shake like no any cold days had ever caused before. He couldn't believe how a seven year old kid's glare could be so frightening. It pricked him like needles, making him wince every now and then. So when he put a butterfly bandage on the tot's forehead, finishing his simple stitch work – supposed to be simple – Gary was way beyond relieved.

"All done." He announced and stood up, restraining himself hard from patting the tot's head. The little one with the shaggy mop of brown hair was really adorable but his guardian was not as equal. Considering the deadly glare coming from the other side of the bed, all he wanted to do now was to get out of the room, away from the little boy's guardian.

Even when he exited the room, Gary could still feel the glare lingering on him, assessing him, scrutinizing him. Thank God the little one didn't cry or flinch under his touch or else Gary would have to start nursing his own injuries now. Throughout the ten years of his life as an MA Gary had never seen such extreme sense of protectiveness in a boy who was barely seven. As he closed the door, leaving the two boys to attend to each other, Gary smiled.

He wished he had a big brother like that boy Dean.

"Thank God it's over!" Gary's coworker was just coming out from the next room – his face was white as sheet.

"DJ?"

"Gare..." Gary rolled his eyes at the nickname DJ had fondly made up for him. DJ was the only one allowed to call him Gare though. "Gosh, you wouldn't believe what I've been through."

"What's up?"

"I felt like I was defusing a bomb in there." DJ's voice trembled a little. "I'd never worked under such stress." He didn't dare look back. Half an hour in that room with the two brothers felt like forever. The man he attended was a giant and his brother, though shorter, had the eyes of a vicious predator. DJ was practically holding his breath as he worked and prayed hard he wouldn't make any mistake.

"You were attending the ape man right?" That was what Gary heard the spiky haired guy call the bigger guy with the head injury when he was admitted earlier.

DJ nodded once, pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his sweaty brows. "The kids you took care of came in with them...the big brother's sons."

"Oh! That explains a lot." Gary gulped. He immediately understood the hell DJ had gone through. "You know what…let's go down to the bar across the street," he suggested. "I don't know about you…but I need a drink."

"And then maybe we can think about taking a long vacation."

…...

Sam pressed the icepack to the swelling on his forehead, avoiding the stare he was getting since the MA started patching him up. The poor guy had been sweating throughout the ordeal, barely breathing. Couldn't blame him though, anybody staying in the same room with Dean now would wish they were somewhere else.

Sam knew he would.

Dean was sitting on the other bed, elbows on his knees, staring at Sam so intently Sam thought the stare burn through the icepack and hit his head square. Ever since they came into the hospital, Dean hadn't said a word to him but he kept staring at Sam, waiting for the right moment to burst.

The younger Winchester chanced a look at his older brother, saw the piercing glare and sighed with defeat.

"Newsflash!" Sam waved a dismissive hand. "In case you didn't notice, already feeling like crap here?" He couldn't take it anymore. Whatever Dean had in his mind, he could blurt it all out now and get finish with it.

"What were you thinking?" was what came out from Dean, but the stare held on.

Grinning shamelessly, Sam tried to stray from the topic "That the guy was scared shitless of you?" and dropped the grin when Dean's eyes still showed the same wrath. Sam couldn't work his charm, not even the ever infamous puppy-dog eyes his brother had always succumbed to.

"What were you thinking barging into the cage like that?" Dean shot up to his feet and paced up and down the room, arms crossed across his chest. "You could have been killed!" Sam was damn sure if they weren't in a hospital that would have been a shout. His big brother must have been bracing himself hard not to vent his anger in full force.

"You should have waited for me!" Dean sounded so much like a commanding officer whose orders had been violated by his subordinates – hurt and betrayed. "What if something happened to you in there?"

A moment of silence pierced between them as they stared into each other's face. Both were waiting for one another's next words.

"I didn't think of anything."

"What?" Dean shot Sam another deadly glare, unbelieving of his little brother's calm reply.

"You asked me what I was thinking…I did not think." Looking straight into his brother's face, challenging Dean's wrath with an empty stare Sam asked "Would you think of anything if you were in my place?"

Dean stopped pacing - his eyes met Sam's in absolute silence. Then he averted his eyes from his brother's and went to the window – staring out quietly before he heaved a deep breath, calming himself.

The silent treatment was the response Sam had anticipated. He knew if it had been Dean in his place, he wouldn't think twice either. Dean never think twice when it came to saving Sam, it had always been as such. Only Sam didn't save Sammy in order to save himself, he was saving Dean.

"Still Sam…you could have died." Dean leant against the wall and stared right through Sam, trying to understand what was going around in his little brother's head.

"I could die if that would make you happy…" Sam whispered but his voice was clear enough for Dean's super-sensitive ears to make sense of.

"Come again?" Dean leaned forward, his brows creasing in folds.

"It wouldn't have mattered much if I die…as long as Sammy's safe." Sam didn't dare meet Dean's eyes. He fidgeted with his fingers, rubbing them here and then. "Maybe things would have been better without me around."

Dean felt something inside him explode. "That's crazy!" He felt like shouting at Sam but there was something stopping him – guilt.

Sighing deeply, Sam explained "Man…I saw the way you freaked out when Sammy went missing…it was like you totally went out of control." He sneaked a glance at Dean and studied his fingers again when he saw his brother's face contort with confusion. "That little guy makes you happy…Dean, you are only alive when he's around."

'And you're not when you're with me.' Sam left that part out in his head.

That much was true. Dean really did come back from hell, all in one piece. But his big brother was never quite alive anymore. Every seconds of his days since his return Dean looked like as if what was left of his life was ripped away from him slowly and painfully.

The way Dean had been drinking after each compelling nightmares during earlier nights of his return – which later was evident even in his daytime short nap – and the way he distanced himself from Sam – no more bitch-jerk banters or Sasquatch-Samantha nicknaming - told Sam that he had never really got his brother back. The after-hell Dean was not the Dean he had always idolized. Sam had lost his brother.

But when Cas worked his angel's mojo by bringing Sammy and little Dean into their life, more than just a little thing changed. The kids – Sammy unquestionably – changed everything Dean or even Sam had been. Suddenly Sam's big brother Dean was back. All of a sudden Dean seemed like he had forgotten his torments completely, now too busy reacquainting with his past – way past hell and hunting, back to their childhood – to actually think about anything other than Sammy.

The little guy had miraculously healed Dean inside out. Without knowing it, Sammy had brought Dean back to life – something Sam had tried so hard he had grown tired of trying. Every time he tried reaching out to Dean, Dean would flinch away, leaving his hand dangling helplessly out of contact. Little Sammy on the other hand didn't even have to reach but still Dean's hand would find his and grasped it tight.

Sam wished he could have been in little Sammy's place and it was his hand that Dean was holding.

There was only one thing that could explain why he felt as such.

Sam did not realize this but Dean saw right through him.

"You're jealous."

Sam choked on his breath. He frowned and growled defensively "Wha-? NO!"

Dean smirked mischievously. Shaking his head he snorted "And you're a terrible liar too." Despite the bruise marring Sam's features, Dean could see the blush immediately appearing on his brother's cheeks. Sam only acted defensively when he knew he was losing to Dean.

Come to think of it, Sam did spent less time with Sammy. Since the kids lived with them Sam seldom tried to reconnect with his young self. Most of his times were spent with young Dean.

"I don't understand what you're saying." Sam shrugged, trying hard to look annoyed though his hands were betraying him from how they unconsciously moved up and down straightening the bed linen. Clearly Sam was embarrassed.

'And a really bad actor.' Dean's lips curled slightly as he watched Sam bow his head and sag his shoulder, shrinking into himself.

Dean's gigantic little brother suddenly looked so small, young and vulnerable - just like little Sammy in the other room. Dean couldn't help but wonder whether Sam realized he had been doing that a lot lately – acting like a little kid – since Sammy and little Dean were around.

And that was the reason why Dean was so protective over little Sammy. He was so afraid of losing the tot because he feared the Sam sitting in front of him right now would banish together with the boy's disappearance.

Since Dean's return from hell he didn't feel like a big brother – in charge, in control, and in need – anymore. He knew he'd been grieving over his own suffering and was looking all weak and feeble in his brother's eyes, but Sam was not himself either. Sam was keeping Dean away from him with all the secrets and he was taking over Dean's job watching their backs. The roles were reversed and Dean didn't like it, but he couldn't do a thing to change it back to the way it used to be.

But now, somehow Dean had gotten back his Sammy. He felt whole again, just like the ever strong big brother he had always been before – maybe stronger since he had not one little brother to take care of now, but three.

Looking at Sam right now, seeing how young he looked, Dean had to fight the urge of pulling Sam into his embrace and hug him tight. Hugging was a sure way to calm a nervous Sammy anytime. But since they became adults, hugging as a comfort blanket only happened when they were sick and delirious. So Dean was going to spare both of them from any Kodak moment, for now at least.

Thinking that he'd been watching too much Dean finally said "Sam…I wouldn't want to lose you anymore than I'd want to lose little Sammy."

Dean got no response. Sam was still avoiding meeting his eyes. "In case you didn't realize this…that little guy is you."

'And there could only be one you Sammy…only you.' Dean wished he had the courage to say that out loud.

"Oh." Sam got it loud and clear.

Hearing Sam take a deep breath and release it slowly, Dean knew Sam was slowly digesting his reasoning; slowly taking it in, believing. Dean couldn't know for sure if what Sam had in mind tallied with his own, but Dean hoped Sam understand him from the little words Dean had said.

Seeing how bad little Sammy's flu had worked on Sam – while the little one was completely healed, Sam was still white as sheet and doubling over of terrible coughing fits every now and then - Dean would do anything to prevent the baby from anything dangerous or seemingly dangerous to keep the worst away from Sam. Thank God the dive little Sammy had taken into the ape's cage didn't mutilate him or Sam would have ended being a disabled for the rest of his life.

"Sometimes Sammy…in order to grow a good tree we have to start by taking care of the seed."

Sam looked up in a bolt, looking at Dean like Dean was possessed. "Is that really you in there?" he poked Dean's chest with a finger and was slapped by Dean's wavering hand.

"I'm capable of making a brilliant analogy too college boy." Putting a hand on Sam's shoulder, giving his little brother a gentle squeeze, Dean smiled reassuringly. Physical gesture was something rare in the Winchester's league and was often evaded except when situations called. But situation called for it today. "Mom and dad didn't leave all brains to you Sammy…live with it."

They shared a moment of silent understanding before Sam broke it with a witty remark "I thought you were adopted."

"You keep thinking Sammy…that's what you're best at." Dean smacked Sam on the back of his head, smiling triumphantly when Sam cringed.

"You seem to be doing that a lot lately." Sam rubbed the back of his head, pouting a little.

Dean snorted. "Well…I heard no complain so I guess you liked it."

Still vigorously rubbing his head Sam smiled.

"Jerk."

Dean smiled. All is forgiven.

"Gorilla's bitch." That would stay for a day or two, at least.

"Okay…you'd kissed and made up I see….now can we go?"

Sam and Dean looked at the door. Young Dean was walking in with Sammy in his arms, the little one's head lolling on his older brother's shoulder, one thumb in his mouth, fast asleep. It seemed that an encounter with the 'gowillas' exhausted the little guy completely.

Seeing the comfort little Sammy was having in Dean's arms made Sam quiver. 'Yeah! I'm jealous…so what?'. All these times, Dean's attention and care were undivided. They were meant for him only. But now they had two new members in the family and the youngest one suddenly became Dean's favorite? Sam could never live with that.

Dean smiled. He could feel Sam tense seeing the two boys. His brother's gaze was fixed on baby Sammy, piercing the little one with a deadly glare. Guess his giant little brother had never really grown up after all.

With the ice pack held firmly over his head, Sam harshly grabbed his jacket and stood up from the bed. As soon as he was on his feet Sam staggered dangerously, almost stumbling.

Dean caught Sam by his shoulders right on time. "Whoa! Easy there ape-man."

Carefully easing his brother to sit on the bed, Dean studied Sam's face. The face he was looking into was so pale and was clammy with sweat. "Are you okay?" whatever Sam's answer would be, Dean knew his brother was far than okay. The cough and the wheezing told Dean that Sam was not doing so well even when Sammy seemed to be completely healed from the flu.

"Sam?" young Dean was already standing by Dean's side, looking up to Sam's face with a frown. The boy reached out and squeezed Sam's knee, offering a silent support.

Sam coughed once and then twice. If Sam coughed for the third time, Dean swore he would alarm the nurses. But the coughing stopped and Sam looked up, looking healthier than he was just seconds ago.

"I'm…I'm okay." Sam nodded weakly.

"Want me to call the doctor?" Dean offered, still a tad worried. Giving it a second thought, he decided "Hell! I'm going to call the doctor." He was ready to barge out of the room but Sam's strong hand caught him by the arm, pulling Dean towards the bed.

Sam shook his head. "I'm okay," he said firmly. He offered another confirmation when he saw concern still linger on his big brothers' face "Really, I'm fine."

Both Deans exchanged glances and sighed, agreeing that Sam was indeed looking a little better. But they were not letting him go without a warning. In their line of duty, secrecy on their health condition might spell disaster.

"Another dopey act like that you're going to the doc and that's final!" Dean looked at Sam with his eyes cracked in slivers. Even young Dean was giving Sam the same look, making the hair on the back of Sam's neck prickled.

"Okay! Okay!" Sam resigned. "Now if you'd excuse me…I need to go relieve myself." Sam hopped down from the bed – Dean's hands hovering near, ready to catch if Sam was to fall - ready to make his way out to the men's room.

Dean chewed his lower lip. His big brother's instinct urged him to go with Sam to make sure he wouldn't make another face plant on his way to the men's room. But accompanying each other to the bathroom had long become a no-no since their age reached two digits. Going with Sam now would be awkward. Why couldn't a clinic have a bathroom attached to it?

"Wait!" Suddenly young Dean called out for Sam. Then he looked at his bigger self and grinned. "I…I need to go too." Without waiting for Dean's approval, he handed Dean Sammy and ran towards Sam.

Sam rolled his eyes, knowing instantly what little Dean was trying to do. The seven year old might be young but his sense of protectiveness was far greater than his age. 'Big brothers'.

As Dean watched Sam and his young self exit the room, his lips curled approvingly. Sometimes it was good to have someone whose mind tallied with yours.

Dean peeked into his cradle where little Sammy was sleeping soundly, oblivious to the ruckus around him. Thinking of what almost happened today sent shivers down Dean's spine. He could have lost both Sam and Sammy – just because little Sammy had an extraordinary interest towards the gorillas.

"You got guts little guy." Dean whispered, feeling a little proud of his baby brother.

The smile sticking to Dean's face widened as Sammy snuggled into the nap of his neck, looking for warmth and comfort. Then the little one threw his arms around Dean's neck, hugging him tight.

"You sure are a brave fella Sam." Dean repeated in soft whispers and was awarded with a contented whimper from the sleeping baby.

Looking at the door, to where Sam had stood a little while ago, Dean mumbled "But you are still my baby brother and it's my job to keep you safe."

...

Sam looked down to Dean, who now was whistling Metallica without any care in the world. The boy's gait should have been smaller than Sam's and with the way Sam was walking Dean was supposed to be a couple of steps behind him. But Dean was walking abreast with him instead, catching up with Sam without extra effort at all.

Snorting, Sam shook his head with disbelief. He wondered where Dean's sense of protectiveness came from because there was too much of it in him Sam thought Dean was born with it.

"What?"

There. Sam was amazed by Dean's alertness. It was as if Dean could read his mind. He never missed even the slightest change in the atmosphere, especially when Sam was around.

"What are you doing coming with me?" Sam asked.

The kid gave him the 'duh' look and shook his head, annoyed. "Isn't it obvious? I'm going to the bathroom…a man got to do what a man got to do." Dean rolled his eyes and mumbled something that Sam was sure sounded like 'little brother'.

"You're not yet a man." Sam sniggered.

"I'm going to be soon…and from the look of it I'm goin' to be more of a man than you'd ever be." Dean wiggled his brows right before he pushed the bathroom door and went ahead of Sam.

"Hey!" Sam followed suit. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Dude! No real man would want a hair like yours!" Dean did his business and washed his hands. Using his wet fingers, he touched up his hair and smiled cockily into the mirror.

Sam rolled his eyes. "What grudge you hold against my hair dude?" Sam looked into the mirror, studying his hair. He liked it the way it was.

Dean looked at him with disbelief, as if he had heard the most outrageous question ever. "Jeez! I don't believe you…are you really my brother?"

"Whatever." Sam succumbed. There was no use trying to win an argument with Dean over such trivial matter. In fact, there was no use arguing over anything with Dean in the first place. Young or not, Dean would always find a way to win.

"Sam…" suddenly Dean's tone changed, making Sam's skin crawled. Sam gulped nervously, awaiting the worst question that he didn't have the guts to answer right now. It had been days since the boys appeared and the matter should have been bugging them - at least Dean would have asked.

"Hmm…" Sam cleared his throat, readying himself with the best white lie.

"What you did for Sammy back at the zoo…thank you."

Sam staggered. He never expected that from Dean. "You're…you're welcome," was all he could ever think of saying now.

"I don't know what I would do without Sammy…he's all I've got." Dean was gripping hard at the sink - his knuckles white. He was looking down into the sink, to the running water. His face was scrunched, as if he was suppressing something so intense it was threatening to blow in seconds.

"But…" Sam was about to continue with '…you still have dad,' but he didn't, fearing it would evoke the most dreaded question. Instead he ended it with "Okay…"

"When mom…" Dean swallowed the words painfully. "…Sammy is all I've got." This was the other side of Dean Sam rarely knew. He had always wanted to breach Dean's wall, to know the real Dean, to really understand his brother. But now, seeing Dean – so small, yet so serious – made him feel guilty. There was so much sadness and sorrow in Dean's voice.

"We have dad…but after mom was gone, he's not dad anymore."

Sam suddenly found himself asking 'why is he telling me this?'

"Sammy is my whole world…my path of life." Dean looked up to Sam, looking him straight into the eyes. "So…I understand why Dean…I mean, the big me…did what he did to you back there."

Sam waited. His heart was pounding viciously in his chest. The seven year old sounded more mature than thirty year old Dean – in a way it made Sam's stomach churn.

"I love my Sammy so much and I could never lose him the way I did today …and I bet your Dean is feeling the same way towards his Sammy too." Dean smiled.

Sam's lips curled slightly. He got what the kid was trying to say but how he wished he could hear it from his Dean instead.

"Yeah…"

….

"Darn!"

Dean shook his head, stirring himself awake from the slumber he didn't intend to take. Sam's and little Dean's trip to the restroom seemed to have been forever. He was getting bored waiting and Sammy was in no condition of being a merry companion. Looking at the toddler – sound asleep on the bed – Dean heaved a heavy breath, trying to clear his mind from the sleepiness.

"Couldn't stay away long huh?"

A voice at the door had Dean bolting to his feet, all vigilant again. Hospitals were among the places Dean had always been suspicious of. His encounters with hospitals had never been of sweet memories.

Seeing Steve at the doorway Dean relaxed. Words would have gone around and the joy luck club dad must have heard of their involuntary visit there.

"Dude! What's with you guys?" Steve gave Dean a disbelieving eye roll.

"What?" Dean was lost, almost annoyed.

"You were here yesterday because of the flu…and now you're back…" the words faded as Steve walked over to Sammy's bed, checked the boy's condition, and continued "…because you were attacked by gorillas?"

Blood rushed to Dean's face. "You'd heard huh?"

"You bet I do!" Steve grinned. "Not every day we heard about a man wrestling with an ape."

Raking his hair, Dean snorted. It was all in a day's work. Wrestling an ape or a demon, what difference did it make? Oh yeah! They didn't get to fight a gorilla every day throughout their life. Guess it was something to boast about.

"I guess little Sammy has something to boast of at the family reunion huh?"

"Huh? What reunion?" it was seconds later only Dean realized he might have given himself away to Steve - that the family reunion thingy was just a scam. Now, seeing Steve looking at him with raised brows, Dean's brain was fast processing for an excuse. "Oh yeah…the reunion," pretending to be tired was the least he could do now.

"Sorry man…I'm too tired to even remember about that stupid gathering." Dean waved a dismissive hand. He glanced lovingly at Sammy and sighed "You know…with the kid getting sick, and now this."

Satisfied with the explanation, Steve patted Dean on the shoulder. Giving the Winchester a sympathetic look he said "Believe me, I know." Looking at the sleeping toddler, he seemed to be sharing Dean's thought. "Bringing up a child on your own is already a handful, two kids…it must have been real hard for you."

Dean bit his lips. He might have been going a little too far with the lies now, especially when Steve had been quite a helpful acquaintance.

"Sam's living with you?" Steve suddenly asked.

Perplexed, Dean took some time to answer "Yeah."

"Well, that makes three kids to take care of." Steve smiled.

It was as if Steve could read Dean's mind too.

"Little brothers, no matter how big they are…would always be a kid." There was something in Steve's eyes as spoke that made Dean's stomach clench. But he couldn't get a grip of what he was feeling. "They think they could take care of themselves but sometimes they were just too reckless," Steve continued and when his eyes met Dean's, he shied away.

Dean was at lost for words. Everything Steve said match whatever he had in his mind. If he didn't know better, he would have thought Steve is a big brother too. Wait! Come to think of it, Dean didn't have a single idea on who was the real Steve except that he was a father and a pediatrician who had spent too much time with the his patients' moms.

"Steve…" Dean rarely cared on knowing more about the people they met along their 'road trip', fearing they would get too connected and later endangering the relationship and the person's life itself. But he couldn't help it with Steve. There was a tingling feeling inside him that he dared taking the chances.

Before Dean even had the chance to ask, Steve smiled and suggested "You should go and get yourself a cup of coffee or something…you look like a train wreck."

Dean was feeling like a train wreck. It was no surprise he looked like one. Deprived of sleep and rest for three days now, he was feeling anything but. But he had seen the worse days, this was nothing compared to those.

A cup of coffee would be nice now. But there was no way he would leave Sammy alone in the room. The last time he left, he could smell something fishy lingering around Sammy – it was just he couldn't figure out what.

As if sensing Dean's worry, Steve offered "Don't worry about Sammy…I'll watch out for him."

Rubbing his stiff neck, thinking that it wouldn't be long before Sam and his young self return from the washroom, Dean agreed. "Well…I really could use a cup of caffeine now," he admitted. He looked over Steve's shoulder, making sure Sammy still sleeping, and headed for the door.

Stepping out the room, Dean stopped and turned to look at Steve "Thanks dude."

Steve wiggled his brows and shot him a smile.

Smiling back, Dean made his way down the hallway – to where the vending machine was.

Watching Dean go away, Steve's smile slowly turned into a frown. He looked down to little Sammy and groaned "What a mean life you have here kid."

…...

Everybody passing by the corner was staring at him like he was some kind of museum exhibit – the nurses, the MAs, the patients – but Dean couldn't care less. Anywhere the Winchesters went, they never failed to garner such attention to themselves, even when they tried really hard not to. After all like Steve had mentioned before, words about them wrestling the ape at the zoo had became a newsflash in the hospital. So Dean was expecting that much attention.

The giggles and the whisperings that echoed as those people passed by didn't affect him much. They could say whatever they want, as long as they didn't mess with him and his family. As soon as his coffee was ready, Dean grabbed his cup and made his way back to Sammy's room.

Just as he turned around the corner, Dean bumped into his little self coming out from the bathroom.

"Watch out dude!" Dean carefully balanced his steps, avoiding the coffee from spilling on the kid. Marring the kid's face with scald marks was the least he wanted to do.

"Dean?" Sam exited the room after the kid, looking surprised to see Dean there. "You're not here looking for us aren't you?" he asked suspiciously. His big brother was in a complete protective big brother mode these few days Sam couldn't help thinking sooner or later Dean's worries might turn into obsessions.

"What are you? Five?" Dean rolled his eyes and took a sip at his coffee. Though, he silently admitted that he was a little bit worried.

Sam glared at Dean, annoyed. He looked around, checking Dean thoroughly. "Where's Sammy?"

Dean shook his head with disbelief. Giving Sam a 'duh' look, he tilted his head slightly towards the treatment room's direction, saying "I need some caffeine…left him with Steve," and started walking again. His younger self was already taking the lead, with hands behind his head.

Sam cringed. Dean leaving little Sammy with a stranger he barely knew for two days - that was something hard to digest. His big brother never trusted anyone to take care of his family, sometimes not even the closest people. "Dude! Are you high on something?"

Glaring at his brother through slivered eyes, Dean blamed his sleepiness on Sam's and his younger self's absence.

"I won't be if you two had came back earlier from that little trip of yours to the washroom." Dean snarled. If Steve hadn't came into the room, he would have joined Sammy's trip to dreamland – something he did not wish to be caught doing on a hospital bed.

"You seemed to trust this Steve guy so much." Sam shot Dean an assessing look, checking whether his brother was thinking straight. The gorilla might have knocked Dean on the head when Sam was out and he might be suffering from a concussion, doing things absentmindedly.

"What's wrong with that?"

"It's…nothing, just forget it." Sam thought better not to worsen the situation. Both he and Dean were heading down the path of mending their relationship – questioning Dean's decision now would have been a turnoff.

What Sam didn't know however, the more he kept it to himself, the farther he strayed from Dean.

Instead of Sam's reluctance on sharing his concern, Dean responded "I don't know Sam…There's something about Steve I just couldn't grab a hold of." Too many things had been kept from each other, drifting both of them apart and he was not going to let it slip through his fingers this time around - enough with secrecy, enough with hesitancy. "Something felt…familiar."

Sam scoffed. "I think you're getting old dude…or maybe you are just getting too carried away with this new daddy club thing." Dean's sharp glare that he earned didn't make Sam feel less amused.

"You know what…the next town we stopped? You're going to play daddy." Dean decided. Sam was pushing too far – or was it too obvious? That he somehow had turned softie all of a sudden?

Shaking his head, Sam grinned "Nah, you'd make a better daddy, old man."

"Bitch!"

"Jerk!" Sam laughed out loud.

Hearing Sam's laughter, Dean couldn't help but smiled himself. If live hadn't been so twisted for them, Dean was sure he would make a great dad. Guess he would just have to be thankful by being a dad to his brother, though he wondered if he did a fine job raising Sam.

Losing himself in his own thoughts Dean suddenly realized Sam's laughter had abruptly stopped and Sam was not walking next to him anymore. He looked back and gaped seeing his brother leaning against the wall, panting breathlessly, with one hand pressing hard on his chest. The colors had all left Sam's face and there was a terrible paleness slowly chasing them away.

"Sam!" Dean rushed to his brother's aid, arriving at the right moment before Sam could make a face plant to the floor, having losing his balance and strength. Slowly easing Sam to sit down on the floor, Dean hollered "I need help here!" into the hallway, uncaring of whoever would hear him.

Little Dean was by their side in a blink of an eye, looking as frantic as Dean. "What's wrong with him?"

"Sam? Sammy? You hear me?" Dean patted Sam's cheek, trying to garner his brother's attention. By this time, people were gathering around them but all Dean could hear was buzzing sounds – of passerby asking what happened, of nurses offering helps. His attention was all on Sam.

"Dd-Dean…" Sam stuttered, gripping Dean by his collar in a tight scrunch. "There's something in me…I can feel it, argh!" Sam groaned painfully as he clutched to his chest as if there was something ready to explode in there.

"Wha-?" Dean was clueless.

"What's he talking about?" young Dean asked. The kid's face was as pale as Sam's – fear evident in his eyes. Watching Sam hyperventilating and muttering nonsensical words was freaking him out completely.

"Sam-sammy… gg-go to him." Sam pushed Dean towards the treatment room's direction.

As if he was electrified, Dean quickly understood what Sam was trying to tell him. He bolted upright and dashed towards Sammy's room, leaving Sam in the hands of young Dean. Seeing the door closed – when he remembered leaving it open as he left – Dean's heartbeats raced. Without giving a second thought, he smashed into the door, flinging it open and what he saw inside left him furious.

A black shadowy figure was cradling Sammy while its hand dug in for something inside the toddler's chest cavity. Sammy on the other hand was wailing painfully, shoving and kicking the hand away but to no avail. His cry filled the room, piercing sharply into Dean's heart, making him feel sick.

"You get off him you bastard!" Dean screamed as he darted towards the black figure, not thinking of anything anymore. He had totally forgotten of any precautions, of any measures that he should consider as a hunter.

Within seconds, the figure retrieved its hand from Sammy's chest, turned around and dashed towards Dean, ramming him to the wall. Dean could hear his rib cracking under the pressure and he could feel air rushing out of his lungs, leaving him breathless as sheer white pain seared up his body, blurring his eyes.

The 'shadow' held Dean up the wall, choking him by the neck with one scrawny hand while its other hand dematerialized into some sort of a branch. Dean panted, watching the eerie transformation with desperation. He chanced a glance at Sammy and seeing the toddler return to slumber made him even more desperate to escape the shadow's captivity. He had to make sure his little brother is all right.

For it being only a shadow, it had an unbelievable strength. No matter how hard Dean tried to release himself by kicking and punching, its grasp on Dean's neck didn't loosen a bit. Crackling evilly at Dean's futile attempt to free himself the black shadow then shoved its other hand into Dean's chest, gripping the Winchester's heart tight.

Dean was stunned. His blood ran cold and his heart stopped beating. Everything in his body seemed to stop moving - even his breath. There was pain everywhere and it hurt so badly his body was becoming numb. At where the shadow's fingers laid – around his heart – Dean felt a burning sensation, as if his heart was on fire.

Dean coughed and blood sputtered out from his mouth in a gush. He whined helplessly and painfully as the shadow kept on laughing maniacally.

"DEAN!"

Sam's holler caused the shadow to lose its focus and its grip on Dean, giving Dean the right chance to free himself. He harnessed the last of his strength and kicked the shadow right on its gut, causing it to jerk away a little. Within that split second, a bullet was shot from Sam's gun right into the shadow's chest, sending him tumbling hard to the floor. But like a smoke, the shadow puffed into the air and disappeared.

"Dean!" Sam scampered to his big brother's aid while the other Dean went to check on Sammy.

"Sammy's fine." The kid announced, sending relief through Sam. Now they only had Dean to worry about.

Cradling Dean's head in his arm, Sam couldn't help thinking of the image of his big brother being ripped apart from the inside by the yellow eyed demon. Everything was like dejavu. "Hey! Hey! Dean!" Sam called desperately as he smacked Dean's cheek, hoping he hadn't lost his brother.

When Dean cracked his eyes open in slits, Sam heaved a relieved breath. But when his big brother started coughing out blood, he went into freaking out mode again. And as Dean's eyes slowly closing, Sam was totally out of it.

"Dean!"

TBC

a/n: I'm so sorry this chapter took half a year to be uploaded. I know I might have given you the impression that I'd stopped writing this story. Trust me that never crossed my mind. My life had been real busy for the past few months that I couldn't even breathe. Please forgive me. I think I'm losing my touch here since my brain is getting rusty from having stopped writing for quite some time. Again I'm sorry if the chapter is not what you would have expected. One more thing, I'm in a bad need of a beta. My bia is having a rough time at work herself, she couldn't beta anymore. This chapter was not edited, so all mistakes are mine and I'm sorry for the umpteenth times.