Summary: The fight before Sam leaves. Sam's first weeks at Stanford. How he meets Jess. Possible Hurt! Or Limp!Sam. Dean will probably make an appearance probably as protective! Probably if not definitely AU. NEVER any wincest. We'll just see how it goes.

Disclaimer: I am unable to locate a trickster or a djin, because if I was, I wouldn't have to write fiction because I would have my own little reality with Sam and Dean included. Thus I own only my wishes.

AN: Unbeta'd This is going to take on a life of it's own, I know that right now, so I make no promises (except that there will be NO wincest). Please be a little patient. Feel free to skip ahead to the part you want to read. Enjoy.

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"I'm Sam by the way, and if I'm not totally lost, I'm your new roommate."

"Ah, hey nice to meet you," he took Sam's hand, "I'm Zach. Yeah, I agree, but it's for a class." Zach paused and added, "I'm from Missouri, how about you?"

Sam let out a sigh at the question and replied, "I'm from the circus."

&&&&

"It's alright. Are you Rebecca by any chance?" Sam asked.

Zach and the girl just laughed, "Hey Zach. No, I'm Jess and I've gotta go. Becky's inside, you're welcome to go in. See ya around," she looked at Sam.

&&&&

"Hey."

Sam was pulled out of his thoughts by a voice.

&&&&

"C'mon," Jess motioned and turned. Sam followed and she gave him a smile.

They had walked back without saying a word. Sam turned towards his room as Jess went up the stairs.

XXXXXXXXXX— SsUuPpEeRrNnAaTtUuRrAaLl—XXXXXXXXXX

Sam walked into the room to find Zach and Becky laughing on the couch.

"Hey man," Zach turned around.

"Hi Sam," Becky shot Sam a smile.

"Hey guys," Sam turned to his room.

"Hey man, what's the rush? The night is young. We were about to put on an M. Night Shyamalan movie and point out the references to red in all of his movies." Zach laughed.

"No thanks guys," Sam smiled.

"Well at least say hi to our new arrival, he'll be rooming with us. He's in the kitchen."

"Alright." Sam headed to the kitchen not wanting to be rude.

"Hey, you must be this Sam I've heard about." The guy offered a hand.

"Yeah, I am Sam, Sam I am" he laughed, "Nice to meet you…"

"Peter, I'm Peter."

"What are you up to?" Sam saw the mess on the counter.

"Oh, just making a ham omelet, it's great eating breakfast at 10pm," he laughed. "Want some?"

"No, I do not like eggs and ham."

"Suite yourself. I'll see you out front when the movie starts. I think we're starting with "The Sixth Sense."

"I'm not really in the-"

"Oh come on, it'll be fun. Call it a 'bonding moment'," he laughed.

"Between three guys and a sister?"

"Heck yes."

Sam actually considered for a moment. "Alright, I won't kill your fun."

"That's what we like to hear here! Well, ish. Something tells me I won't hear you screaming 'PARTY!' anytime soon.

Sam walked back into the room where Becky and Zach were sitting.

"…And you broke your arm trying to impress that girl by skating backwards." Becky cracked up.

"Well at least I'm not the one who got asked 'Are you a Mommy?' while sledding in the park with my boyfriend."

"Oh, shut up Zach." Becky threw a pillow and they were laughing.

"Hey guys, what'd I miss?"

"We're just talking about embarrassing moments that happened on winter vacation."

"Care to share a story?" Zach laughed.

FLASH BACK

Dean wanted to do something to surprise Sam. He had some extra cash from hustling pool, not a lot mind you, but enough to pick up a couple sleds from the Goodwill down the road.

You can find anything at Goodwill. Hell, even when John needed something odd for a hunt, the first place he'd go was Goodwill.

There was already snow on the ground and it wasn't going to melt anytime soon. Dean had spotted a pretty good hill not far from town that would be perfect. So he kept the sleds hidden in the impala overnight. John was going to be gone in the truck tomorrow so it's not like he would care.

Dean went back to the hotel and flopped on the bed.

"Where've you been?" Sam looked up from the t.v.

"Nowhere special. Hey gimme the remote," Dean yanked it away from Sam as he said it. "Godzilla vs. Mothra is on."

"Hey! I was watching that!"

"Well, looks like were watching this now."

"Dude…"

"Sorry Sammy, I can't hear you. The t.v.'s too loud."

"Whatever," Sam surrendered.

The next morning Dean made sure they got up early and set the alarm. For once, he was actually going to wake up early by his own choice.

"God, Dean… It's early. What's up with the alarm?"

"I dunno… the people here before must have set it." Dean got to his feet and walked around, "Hey, get dressed. You have to help me scrape the ice off the windows."

"Why would I do that… it's your car."

"Then you're gonna be pretty hungry this morning. I'm goin' out to the IHOP." Dean headed to the door after getting dressed. Sam was still in bed-avoiding getting up.

"Ok, ok, I'll do it. Just wait a sec."

God it was freezing out. Dean put his leather coat in the car, abandoning it for a parka. They spent about an hour eating and started to head back. Dean took the long way that passed by the hill.

"Hey Sam, the road's getting pretty slick, go get the tire chains from the trunk."

Sam shot him a look, "No man, it's freezing out."

"Well… then I'll do it. You're gonna have a long walk back to the room though."

"Fine." Sam got out of the car and headed to the trunk.

"Hey Dean…"

"Yeah Sam, what is it?"

"What's this?" Sam pulled out a sled.

"Well it's called a sled Sam. The idea is to ride down hills on it to have fun. Jesus you're supposed to be the smart one."

"Yeah, I know that, but why's it in the trunk?"

"Uhh… In case we ever wanted to go sledding Sam, duh. Man you're losing it, your IQ is like the temperature out here."

"Dean. We don't own sleds."

"Well we obviously do cause they're right there."

"But-"

"Just stop questioning things Sammy, c'mon." Dean took the other sled and led Sam to the hill that was just a little past some trees. He headed up one side of the hill, but Sam stopped.

"You had this planned."

Dean said nothing and continued walking.

On the side they were heading up, there were trees. But the other side was steeper and led into a frozen lake. Dean had checked it out previously and it was frozen solid. No doubt.

After Sam finally got over the shock of something normal for once, and a spontaneous act of kindness from his big brother, they really started to have fun.

They had a game where the one sliding down would have to dodge snowballs by making turns. That eventually got old and so they had races… that more revolved around sabotaging the other's sled and crashing.

"Hey, I bet I can get further down the hill than you," Sam laughed.

"I'd like to see you try. Face it, I've been kicking your ass all day."

"Watch me," Sam got a running start and sped down the hill. "C'mon Dean… Or do you think you can't beat me?" Sam teased.

Dean saw how far he got and was a little impressed. He had to beat it. "Yeah, just make a line so we can know how bad I beat you."

Dean laid flat on the sled to go faster and further. Lo and behold he made it out at least 10 yards more than Sam. He saw even still laying on the sled that from where Sam was, there was no question about it, and started laughing. "Told you I'd win!"

"Yeah, well… that's once. Two out of three," Sam raced up the hill.

Dean got up still laughing and heard a sickening crack. The next thing he knew was cold. No, not cold, literally freezing. He couldn't breathe and it hurt to move.

Sam looked back and didn't see Dean right away, "Ha! I beat you're ass up the hill at least." There wasn't a reply and Sam got a little worried. "Dean?" Sam paused, "Ok Dean, come out this isn't funn-" Sam was cut off mid sentence when he noticed the hole in the ice where Dean was. "Oh my God! DEAN!" Sam sprinted down the hill as fast as he could without falling and made it to the edge of where Dean fell.

Survival instinct kicked in and he made it to the surface. Dean grabbed at the edges of the ice to pull himself out but kept slipping. He couldn't yell, it was all he could do to breathe.

Sam saw Dean frantically grabbing at the ice and falling back in.

"…S…s…Sammy…" He managed to get out before he fell under the water again.

"Grab my arm Dean, I'll pull you out, just hold on."

Dean was pretty too much out of it to do anything. He heard Sam's voice, it didn't register. His brain was now only focused on surviving. He felt something to latch on to and held on until he was out.

Even though Sam was only 12, he managed to pull Dean out and get him a few feet away from the hole. Dean was just laying there with his eyes closed and shivering.

"Dean? C'mon Dean, you with me?" Sam hovered over him.

"Ahh…C-cold Sam."

"I know." Sam threw off Dean's parka and sweater as quickly and carefully as he could, replacing it with his own parka.

Dean was numb now, but at least he didn't feel the cold burning sensation all over any more.

"Dean, we need to get back, you ok to walk," Sam was now hovering again.

"Ugh, yeah… Dude, get offa me." Dean tried to stand but his muscles weren't working right. "Help me up will ya?"

Sam grabbed Dean's arm and pulled him up. Between the ice and the issue of balance, once Dean was up, Sam fell backwards. When he put his hand out for support to get up, he felt nothing and as he fell backwards, it momentarily hit him where he had been sitting.

Dean turned around in time to see Sam try and get up. "Sammy, watch ou-" it was too late, Sam fell in.

The water had re-frozen a little after Dean was pulled out. Adrenaline kicked in and Dean went back over to the hole. Sam hadn't surfaced for air yet.

"Sammy!" it had been too long. "Sam!"

Dean saw something out of the corner of his eye. A couple feet from the surface he saw Sam. Trapped under the ice.

"Oh God, Sammy!" Dean reached under, but couldn't get to him. His first instinct was to jump in after Sam, but that wasn't an option.

Dean started to beat the ice with his fists, but it just wouldn't break.

"DAMNIT!"

He racked his brain for something-anything to save Sam. He was watching his baby brother drown and couldn't do anything. An idea suddenly hit Dean, 'the spade,' there was a spade left in the trunk from the last salt-n-burn.

"Hang on Sam!" he looked at the ice and began to run.

Dean didn't feel how cold it was anymore, how his muscles ached with every move, or even the time he slipped and felt his arm cracking on the ice. He could only focus on Sam and how long he'd been under already.

'Why'd I have to park so freackin' far away?' he cursed to himself.

The trunk flew open and he grabbed the spade and ran back, not even bothering to close the trunk.

Sam was still there, but he wasn't struggling or fighting like he should be. Dean only saw a limp form under the thick ice.

"Sammy!" Dean started digging at the ice with the spade. He didn't make much progress at first, but it was better than nothing.

One, 'Come on.' Two, 'Hold on Sam.' Three, 'Damnit, break already.' Four, Crack! The ice cracked and Dean used the spade to pry the ice apart.

Sam finally surfaced, but not in the way Dean hoped. He was face down and not moving. Dean managed to grab hold of Sam's sweater and use the spade as leverage to pull him out.

"Oh god… Sammy…" He was blue and didn't respond to Dean at all. "C'mon Sam, we've gotta get you back to the car and warmed up." He scooped Sam up and carried him back to the impala.

Once Dean was past the hill, he realized, something was wrong… not only was Sam still blue, he still hadn't moved, not once. Hell, he wasn't even shivering. In the rush, Dean hadn't even checked his breathing-let alone if Sam had a pulse.

"Sam…" Dean paused and shook him while setting him down. Nothing. "SAM!" He shook him harder. Sam wasn't breathing. He had no pulse.

"Sonuvabitch…" Dean ran his hand over his face. He wasn't sure if he remembered CPR or not. He had to try, they were far away from help and Dean hadn't timed how long it had taken to get Sam out.

"Don't do this Sam…" he began compressions and breaths. "C'mon Sam, breath.' After four cycles of compressions and breaths Dean was in a panic, "Damnit!" Dean's eyes started to water. After the fifth round, Sam let out a cough and the water spewed out of his lungs.

"Sammy…" Dean was afraid to even touch him for fear that Sam would stop breathing. He was still unconscious, but alive. "Sam," Dean leaned over, "You with me here little brother?" The only response he got was Sam's wheezing breaths. Dean still had to get him back to the impala and began to carry him again.

Dean laid Sam in the front seat with the heater on full blast. He was still blue from the cold and it hit Dean that Sam was only wearing his sweater. Dean had on Sam's parka. He suddenly felt ten times worse. Sam had given up his coat when he rescued Dean which meant that no matter how cold Dean was feeling, it had to be unimaginable to be Sam. He noticed how Sam's hair was literally frozen to his head… he still wasn't even shivering.

"Shit Sam," Dean took off Sam's sweater-which had now frozen too-and replaced it with the parka. He searched around for something else and spotted his own leather coat that he'd left in the car.

They needed to get back to the room. Dean ran around and closed the trunk before switching to the driver's side. He didn't want to put Sam in the back, it was colder there. So he rested Sam's head on his right leg and sped off.

The impala started to fishtail on the road and Dean remembered how slick it was. It would take longer to get back. "Fu-shit."

About half way back, Sam began to shiver uncontrollably.

"Sam?" Dean looked down. "If you can hear me, open your eyes."

It was so cold. There weren't words for how cold Sam felt. His brain couldn't focus on anything else-it was all blocked out. He thought he heard Dean's voice, but it was fuzzy at best and he couldn't focus. '…Open your eyes.'

Dean saw Sam's eyes begin to open a crack and his heart almost skipped a beat.

"D…d-d-dea…?"

"It's gonna be ok Sammy. I've got you. Just… just don't worry," Dean had absolutely no idea what to say. Sam was practically dead-actually was dead for a few minutes.

Sam was quiet a minute which worried Dean, but Sam finally, weakly curled into a ball trying to get warm and shiver-sighed, "k-k-kaa-ayy…" before closing his eyes again. The statement was worse than the silence. Sam questioned everything all the time.

"Sam? Sammy…" Dean gently shook him in an attempt to keep him conscious. Sam was out cold-no pun intended.

They got back to the room and Dean left Sam in the car with the heat still on to crank up the heater in the room before carrying him in.

Usually Dean took the bed closest to the door, but the heater just happened to be there. So he gave it up to Sam despite the habit that had nearly turned OCD in Dean.

Dean got Sam into some new dry clothes before changing himself. He sat on the bed next to Sam and watched him for the longest time.

'It's you're fault Dean… You couldn't just let Sam win for once... You didn't check the ice far enough out… He had to rescue your ass and he fell in doing it. Hell, he even did a better job at saving you than you did him… You didn't even check his breathing or give him the parka right after you pulled him out… You know better and you didn't do a good job looking out for him…' Thoughts ran through his head for god knows how long.

It wasn't nearly as bad as having to call John to come back on a hunt after only his first day out. Dean picked up the phone and dialed the number of John's cell (which in hindsight would now be an antique).

'Hello, this is John Winchester, please leave a message. If it's an emergency, call Joshua, 555-867-5309. If it's Dean and Sam… you know the numbers. BEEEP!'

"…H-hello Dad. We need you t-to come back… Sam needs help… I-I don't know what t-to d-do… I'm sorry… P-please… I'll call th-the numbers though" Click.

Dean dialed all the numbers but they were all pretty much the same.

'You've reached Jim, I'm sorry I can't get to the phone now…'

'Hey, it's Caleb. For my "business" number press 1, for anything else, press 2…'

'Joshua here. I can't answer calls right now. If it's urgent, call John. If not, please leave a message…'

Dean left the same message on all of them, "It's Dean and Sam. If you s-see John… tell him to come back…" He pressed both one and two or Caleb. He hated how his voice seemed to get weaker and more desperate with every call.

The adrenaline was wearing off and Dean suddenly felt tired and realized how cold it was. There was a throbbing pain in his left arm now. He needed to stay awake for Sam though so he propped himself into a sitting position against the pillows. Too bad it didn't work.

He finally dialed the last number. 'You've reached Bob Singer. If you need help-' "Hello?" Bobby actually picked up and Dean paused in disbelief. "Hello?"

"B-bobby…"

"Who's this?"

"It's us, Dean and Sam."

"Nice to hear from you, how's-"

"L-listen, we need our Dad… tell him to come back if you s-see him…"

"Dean? What's wrong? Are you two in trouble?"

"…G-get Dad…"

"DEAN! Where are you? Talk to me!"

"…Please…" Dean finally passed out.

"DEAN!... DEAN!

SOME TIME LATER

John walked into the room and immediately felt the heat coming out of it and turned off the heater.

Then he saw Sam lying on the bed pale and wheezing. He looked for Dean and found him passed out with the phone still loosely dangling from his hand. He was pale too, but not as bad as Sam.

John needed information and Dean was going to be the best source here.

"Dean?" John tapped his face, "Dean wake up."

He was rewarded with a groan as Dean turned away.

"C'mon Dean, talk to me."

"Dad?" He was suddenly more aware.

"What happened here Dean?" John's voice was still stern.

"We… were sledding… Sam fell in." Dean looked over to the other bed.

"Fell in what Dean, look at me."

"The ice… he fell through." Dean suddenly started to panic as he remembered it all. "Sammy!" Dean tried to get up weakly and started coughing, but John held him down.

He started to notice the heat coming off of Dean and how he favored his left arm and suddenly felt bad for the harsh tone.

"Lay down while I check on Sam," He finally softened.

Sam was having trouble breathing and burning up. He wouldn't respond to John at all.

Dean started another coughing fit, "How's Sammy?"

John needed to sugar coat this somehow, he knew things couldn't be good and they needed medicine.

"Sam… He'll be fine. We need medicine." John paused, he didn't want to leave them alone. "I need you to watch him while I go out… Can you do that?"

"Yes Sir." Dean relaxed a bit but added something as John opened the door. "Dad… Please come back…" He was slightly delirious.

Both struck a chord with John and he paused, "Of course Dean… And I'm Dad."

John returned minutes later with everything from antibiotics to pain meds. Dean was still awake when he got back, but was clearly out of it. Sam was the same.

Dean neglected to mention that he fell through the ice too and passed off his symptoms as just being out too long, slipping on the ice and the flu in his version of the story.

Sam finally really woke up about two and a half days later. Opening your eyes and asking "wha' happened", "where' Dean/Dean?", the same question with "Dad", and occasionally replying with "oh… kay'" doesn't really constitute of any coherency.

It was a week later that Sam even remembered the full story and told John that Dean fell in before he did.

Sam and Dean never went sledding or ice skating again.

END FLASH BACK

"Sam? Sam?"

"Huh?"

"You kinda spaced out on us there."

"Oh, sorry."

"Well… what's your story?"

"My brother and I went sledding this one time. He broke his arm while racing me down the hill and I landed in the creek at the bottom and came out all wet."

"Nice dude, I guess you never learned how to steer the sled." Zach laughed.

"Yeah, I guess. How about we start the movie?"

"Alright, but Little Becky here's a chicken so don't be surprised if she screams now and again."

"Oh, Shut up Zach. I was five and the original Frankenstein movies were on a Halloween marathon."

Peter came in and they put the tape in the VCR.

'I see dead people,' Was the first line on

"Great, who forgot to rewind?"

"That'd be I." Peter popped in. "Figured we'd cut the crap and see the best line."

"Gee thanks, some of us haven't seen it before." Becky scowled.

AN: I hope the wait was worth it for the longer chapter. I did put in a new character, Peter is the guy from pilot that goes to the bar with Sam and Jess… Unfortunately I had to name him myself because he was never actually named before. I know, uber long flash back, but it's something I've always had a plot bunny for.

Read and review. Tell me what you think, what you want/don't want to see, or just how your day has been. I don't care, just motivate me.

I like reviewers better than non-reviewers, so yes, this is favoritism.

What you want to see will most likely effect the story, so seriously tell me and rock my salt.

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