Disclaimer: Not mine… DITH! All Hail Kriepke! Not really, we love the amazing imagination of the brilliant man! (Yes, we… me and myself and I or maybe just the mouse in my pocket)

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Chapter 10

Slowly Dean's empty hand came up to meet his other hand and he gently placed the amulet back where it belonged. He stood stock still for several more seconds as he just… felt the hum of it singing through his body. It felt... right to be hanging there. It was heavy, a comfortable weight he hadn't even realized the extent of the missing of it until it was back where it belonged. He never should have let Cas talk him into taking it off in the first place. He shook his head as he looked up and smiled as he murmured, "Thanks, Bobby." Then once again he gaze gravitated to the amulet.

"I think this will convince Sam more than anything not to do something stupid." Bobby said softly.

Dean's head jerked up from staring at the amulet, his hand automatically went to touch where it lay on his chest. He hissed, "What do you mean?" as he stared intently at the older hunter.

Bobby sighed, He hadn't meant to say that out loud, it had just slipped out.

"Has he said something to you?" Dean demanded, looking back to his sleeping brother. His pain in the ass little brother that always tugged at his heart strings.

"Not in so many words but I think he feels he still needs to atone for what he did." Bobby said, keeping his promise of not telling Dean certain things but still getting it out there where hopefully Dean would want to fix it.

"He needs to… but so do I." Dean rubbed at his hair before he added, "But I'm not going to let him atone for it with his life. We're done sacrificing. And if we're not it's going to be together."

Bobby looked in pain, a pinched look crossing his face. "Idjit." Bobby finally managed before he stalked over and gave Dean a slight shake, "I'm not ready to lose either one of you… so knock it off!"

"Hey Bobby I just said We. Are. Done sacrificing… so why are…" Dean started only to have Bobby hit him with his baseball cap as he snapped, "And you ended with you'll do it together." he finished putting his cap back on his head and stepping away, he hadn't meant to lose it at that particular moment. But he was tired of them being so ready to give up and leave him alone. He been there and he'd done that… and HE wasn't doing it again anytime soon. He turned and walked out of the room. This was more draining emotionally than he ever imagined when he first got involved with the Winchesters. But, he admitted to himself, it was so worth it to get to be a part of the boys' lives.

Dean watched Bobby walk from the room and turned to watch Sammy. He walked over to his little brother. He'd make it right with Bobby later.

He needed to be close to Sammy. His stupid, brave little brother who he needed more than air. He sat down next to Sam and nudged him. He didn't wake up. He'd never been good with waiting on Sam to wake. Not when he was just sleeping and especially not when waking from an injury. So he lifted Sam's hand by his wrist and let it flop onto the bed. That used to really irritate Sam when he was younger.

Sam moaned and tried to turn over.

Dean leaned in and said loudly, "Sammy!"

Sammy sat straight up looking wildly around.

Dean had to lurch backward to avoid getting a head butt from Sammy. He leaned back too far, pinwheeled his arms and still landed on his back on the floor.

Sam looked around panting as he searched for … the sudden thump on one side of his bed had him looking over the side. He questioned in a surprised voice, "Dean?"

"Hey, what's up little brother…" Dean said sounding winded but he still managed a cocky grin.

Sammy smiled big enough to see his dimples as he snarked, "Apparently not you."

"Har D har har…" Dean grumbled back as he scrambled to his feet and leaned in to look at Sammy's pupils. The same. Awesome… most likely no concussion.

"How about we check out that bump again?" Dean asked.

Sam stared at him frozen… only he seemed to be staring at his chest. Dean frowned as he watched Sam as he started to pant… was he going to hyperventilate?

"Sammy… what the hell is wrong with you?" He asked reaching forward only to have Sammy scramble backward as he demanded, "Where the hell did you get that?" Sam demanded pointing.

Dean looked, oh the amulet… okay he thought silently, Not the reaction he was hoping for. He bit his lip as he looked at Sam before he whispered, "Bobby gave it to me… I wished you would have though." He continued to bite his lip a second before he blurted out, "Were you ever going to?"

Sammy blinked back tears, this was not how he'd pictured this going. "I haven't been able to trust me for a long time. My judgment sucks… so I gave it to Bobby. I trust his judgment."

"What about my judgment?" Dean asked quietly. "Why didn't you talk to me about it?" Dean asked, not meaning for the hurt to seep through.

Sammy shook his head no.

Dean raised his eyebrows.

Sam sighed and blurted out, "You threw it away. I deserved it I know it but… I… you didn't want it back and I didn't know if you ever would… I didn't think I could handle it if I gave it back and you threw away again… it hurt too damn bad the first time." He turned away and climbed out of bed trying to put distance between himself and Dean.

"Sammy." Dean whispered. The tone he used had Sammy turning and stepping toward him before it registered he'd moved at all.

Dean hit his knees and bowed his head.

Sammy bolted to him, falling to his knees in front of him. "D?" he whispered, reaching out to place a hand on his brother's shoulder.

Dean tried not to move. He refused to cry. Winchesters don't cry. Winchesters don't cry. Winchesters don't cry… he chanted in his head.

Sam felt his brother shaking anyway and used his free hand to force Dean to look at him.

Tears ran freely as he tried to hold back the sobs. So much for Winchesters not turning into weepy girls, Dean's mind supplied.

"D?" Sam repeated. "Do you want it?"

Dean nodded but tried to pull away.

Sammy sighed in relief as he finally felt he could admit some of his fears, he said softly, "A nightmare of mine has been that I'd wake up one of these days and you'd be wearing it… having found it in one of my bags and then you'd…" He stopped, swallowed hard a few times his voice cracking as he said, "And then you'd tell me you didn't want it and you'd throw it away again, only this time… I got thrown away too…"

Dean body shuddered before he finally looked his little brother in the eye, "Sammy I know I've said shit… but I'm not okay with losing you. I can't just sit back and let you go. I know I said I was tired… but I'm not that tired. And I want to earn back your trust."

"What? I trust you." Sammy argued.

"Just not with my own amulet." Dean commented, trying to reign in his emotions.

"You did…" Sammy started.

"Okay… okay." Dean said as he held his hands up in surrender. "You win… but I'm keeping it."

Sammy pulled him into a hug.

"Dude… get off me… you've had your quota of chick flick shit to last a lifetime…" He said as he hugged him back.

"You started it." Sam stated.

"Did not." Dean mumbled into Sam's shoulder.

"Did too." Sam said as he pulled away.

"I fucking so did NOT!" Dean exclaimed with a smile.

"jerk." Sam said as he stood and held out a hand to help Dean up from the floor.

"bitch!" came the standard reply as he clasp hands and let Sam pull him to his feet.

A couple of hours later Bobby found them passed out in the queen sized bed leaving him the twin… freakin' figures, he thought with a smile. He took out his phone and took a couple pictures of them sleeping. No he was not a stalker… but it was a rare moment in time; unguarded. They both were sleeping on their backs, shoulders barely touching. Basically matching positions with one foot under the covers and the other above.

He sat in the chair across the room and watched them. Again not stalkerish. They needed the peace for one night. And if he had anything to say about it they were going to get it. Cause morning was going to come early.

TBC