Disclaimer: I own the idea behind the story and the characters you've never heard of before.

We jumped into the trucks and drove. I had my truck and Caleb rode with John in the Sierra. An unspoken message passed between the three of us and we headed to John's place. We wanted to drive straight to my house, but John and me weren't in the best state of mind to be speeding all the way back to South Dakota.

We got to John's house and I was relieved to be able to relax a little. I got out of my car and was followed by the youngest hunter among us toward the entrance of the house. "You want to tell me what went on in there, Bobby?" Caleb asked.

I looked back at Caleb, confused. "Didn't John tell you?"

"He hasn't said anything since we left the school. I stopped prying because he looked like he wanted to kill me."

John made his way toward us and unlocked the front door. He walked in, not even acknowledging that we were there. "John? You all right?" I asked walking into the house. The only reply that I got was a door slamming. I shouldn't have been surprised.

"You know, you could always tell me," Caleb said.

I could have, but I didn't want to. It was a lot of information that we received, and it exhausted me. "Not my place," I replied.

I plopped onto the couch hoping that was the end of our discussion. But Caleb stood in front of the television with his arms crossed across his chest. "Just tell me what happened."

"It's too big of a burden for you to have to carry, Caleb," I replied.

"What the hell does that even mean? What burden?"

"Just promise me that you'll keep an eye on and protect Dean."

"You don't even have to ask," Caleb replied. "Where are you guys going?"

"We aren't going anywhere."

"So, who is dying?" Caleb had no idea how much those words struck a chord.

"No one." Not if I had anything to do about it.

"Well, you're making it seem like something is coming that Dean needs to get protected against that John can't take care of himself." I didn't reply. "Well?"

"Yeah," I whispered.

"And what do they want with Dean?"

"I don't know."

"Liar!" he yelled.

The door to John's room flew open and halted our argument. "Pack up whatever you brought here. We're leaving," John commanded.

"No, we're not," I replied.

"Yeah," Caleb agreed. "Not until I know what went down in that locker room."

"No, because you're in no condition to be driving."

"I need to get back to Dean!" John yelled. "You heard what they said."

I grabbed John by the shoulders and shook him. "You won't do him any good with your car wrapped around a tree. You're anger is blinding you. You won't even be able to drive in a straight line. "

John looked down. He knew I was right. I let go of him and we both sighed. "I need to protect my sons, Bobby," he whispered. "I need to protect Dean. You heard them."

"And you will. We'll leave in the morning."

"What if…" John's voice trailed off.

"No," I said adamantly. "None of this 'what if' bull. No, what if we can't protect him, or what if something happened to him while we're away. I don't want to hear any of it." John nodded once, turned and walked away from us. He slowly closed the door to his room. I looked back at Caleb who stood in front of me, frozen. "You still want to know?"

He shook his head. "No," he whispered. "If it has John spooked, I don't think I'll be able to handle it. Just tell me whatever you need me to do."

"Protect Dean."

"You don't even have to mention that. Just… keep me on a need to know basis. If it gets bad enough…"

"I'll tell you," I replied. "Now, get some shuteye. I think that John will want to leave as soon as possible." Caleb turned without a word and walked into the boy's room leaving me with the couch. "Damn you, John Winchester." I tilted my hat over my eyes and tried to fall asleep.

But I thought about Dean. I should've called him to tell him the hunt was over, but I couldn't see straight to dial the number to my house. Calming John had expended the rest of the energy that I had left. I tried to convince myself that he was fine. I didn't do a very good job because there was a nagging in the back of my mind about his wellbeing, even until I fell into a fitful night of sleep.

I woke when the sun came up. My body was never one to let me sleep through any form of light. I sat up from the couch, with a crick in my neck, when I heard a door open. I lifted my hat from my eyes and saw John standing in front of me in a different set of clothes. "Let's go."

"What about Caleb?"

"Harrison!" John yelled.

The door to the boy's room opened up and Caleb walked out, rubbing his eyes. "I'm up," he yawned. "We can go."

"Pack up your things."

"Already done," Caleb said, letting out another yawn.

John walked out of the house. Caleb and I grabbed our bags and we followed him out. When we got out, John had gotten into his truck and slammed the door shut. "Caleb, you're with me," I said. He let out a deep sigh of relief and gratefulness. "John!" I yelled. He craned his neck out of his window. "Take lead."

John rolled his eyes to tell me that he already knew that. He tucked back into his car, rolled up his window, and started it.

Caleb got into the passenger seat of my truck. I threw my bag between us and got in myself. I started my truck. John pulled onto the road and waited for me to do the same. As soon as I got on his tail, we were on our way.

The ride back home was quiet. And awkward. If it were so awkward with just Caleb and me, I could only imagine how awkward a car ride would have been with Caleb and John. Minimal words were spoken between me and the young hunter. We just wanted to get home as soon as possible.

It was hard enough to stay close to John without breaking the speed limit. Which for some reason I cared about. I guess I didn't want something as stupid as a speeding ticket to delay me from getting home.

We reached my house in record time. By the time I pulled into a space near my house, John was already jogging up the porch steps and toward the front door. Something was missing from my porch, but I couldn't worry about that at the moment. I hastily shut off my engine and ran after him. Caleb wasn't far behind.

I got in my house in time to hear John yelling. "Dean?" John yelled. He opened the door to Dean's room. "Dean, where are you? Dean!" John yelled, fear evident in his voice. He ran out of Dean's room to face me and Caleb. "He's not in his room." And guilt came over me. I should've called Dean last night.

Where the hell could that kid have gone? I know that the demons couldn't have come after Dean. John said that there were seven people possessed, there were seven demons in the locker room. I know there we no time for any of them to sneak off and go after Dean because we exorcised all of them. But that didn't mean another set couldn't have made their way here. But my house had traps everywhere. And it looked undisturbed.

But that left us with the question, where the hell was he? "I'll check upstairs," Caleb said. "Blaze!" he yelled as he jogged up the stairs.

"Dean!" I yelled.

I remembered what was missing from my porch. Rumsfeld was missing. Not only was Dean missing, but so was my dog. Caleb came running down the stairs. "He's not up there."

John turned to walk down a hallway and search through the other rooms in my house. "Dean!"

Just what John needed, another reason to be worried about his oldest. I needed a drink. I headed toward my kitchen to pour me some whiskey. All the worrying and stress wasn't doing any good to the remaining color on my head. As I got closer to my kitchen, I saw a pair of legs sticking out. "Dean?" I whispered. I quickly made it to his side. Rumsfeld was resting near his head, looking bored. I thought the worst until I saw a pillow and blanket was also scattered on my floor. "Hey, Rumsfeld. How's our little patient?" I asked him and scratched him behind the ears. The only reply I received was a whine. "Dean, wake up," I whispered, trying to shake him awake. His eyes slowly peeled open. "Dean." As slowly as his eyes opened, they fell closed again. "Found him!" I yelled. Dean twitched at the yelling.

Caleb and John were hovering over my shoulder no more than ten seconds later. John knelt at his son's head lightly patted his cheek. "Dean, come on," he whispered.

His eyes opened again, faster than before. "Dad? Bobby?" he whispered.

"Caleb's here too," Caleb added not wanting to be forgotten. "You just shaved some years off of all our lives with this little stunt, Blaze."

"Are you hurt?" John asked.

"No new injuries, if that's what you're asking," Dean replied.

Dean's eyes roamed up to meet Caleb who was standing over all of us. "What the hell are you doing down there, Blaze?"

"Sleeping," Dean mumbled.

He stretched for his pillow that was out of reach. I leaned over and grabbed it for him, tucking it under his head. "On the kitchen floor?" Caleb asked.

"It's cooler than in my room."

"But on my kitchen floor?" I repeated.

"Fine," Dean said. "I'll move back to my bed."

"We can help," Caleb said. Caleb knelt down next to his friend. "Keep getting injuries like this, Dean and you're not going to make it to thirty. I guarantee it."

"Ouch, that hurts, Caleb."

"I'd bet money that you wouldn't make it to thirty with the way you are."

"Making bets on my life, Caleb?"

"Well, with that sacrificing complex you have, you're lucky that I'm giving you that thirty."

"So, does that mean this is my midlife crisis."

"No," we all replied.

"I guess that it's time to get up." Dean tried to sit up quickly, but the stiffness of his movements told me his body didn't approve. He groaned as he lowered himself back to the ground. Rumsfeld stood up and paced around Dean. "It's okay, puppy," Dean replied, scratching Rumsfeld behind the ears. He sighed and rolled his eyes at his weakness that even my puppy could read.

John and I helped sit him up, then gradually pulled him to his feet. "You're not moving on your own for a month," John said as we walked him back to his room.

"What if I have to pee?"

"Caleb will carry you," I replied.

"No," Caleb and Dean replied simultaneously.

"I'll help you to the bathroom, Blaze. But carrying you is out of the question. You're bulking up."

"You'd drop me," Dean laughed.

"Not because I can't lift you, but because I know that you're hardhead wouldn't be affected at all."

We made it to the room and sat Dean down on the bed. The back of my hand went to his forehead. "Your fever broke," I replied.

"Last night."

"So, how are you feeling, Dean?" I asked.

I lifted his wrists one by one and looked them over. I was satisfied when there was no blood. "I'm feeling good," he replied. It almost sounded honest. "Better than I've been feeling for a few days."

Which wasn't saying much because he had a really crappy few days. "But not a hundred percent," Caleb added.

Dean nodded instead of trying to deny it. "How are you doing, Dad?" he asked.

John hadn't said anything since we stepped into the room. "You need to stop worrying about me. And don't avoid the question, how are you feeling?"

"No, I'm not completely well, but that's expected," Dean replied. I knew that was the best answer we were going to get from him.

I took the next few minutes to look over all the bandages and realized that his clothes and bandages were changed. "You changed your bandages yourself?" I asked.

"Had to. You guys weren't here and I needed a shower."

"Nice job," I replied.

When I was done checking him over, I pulled up my chair and sat at Dean's bedside. I looked at him intently, realizing how important he was to everything good in the world. Our not-so-secret weapon. "Dean, I want you to tell me something."

"Sure thing, Bobby," he replied. He was always so cooperative with me.

"How did you get away? Because those guys were huge, and those rope burns on your wrists and ankles tells me that you were bound pretty tightly." I wanted to know how crafty this Winchester was, although I had an idea.

"I was," he replied. He lifted up his hands and stared at the bandages wrapped around his wrists.

"So, how did you get out of there?"

"There was this guy," Dean started. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw John look up. "I'd never seen him before. And he definitely wasn't on the football team because I know everyone of those players. I actually don't think that I've ever seen him on campus before."

"Did he at least give you a name?" I asked. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end when he told me that he got help from a stranger.

"He said his name was Gabe. That's it, no last name. He said he was there to make sure I was okay. He untied me and helped me to the Impala. Then he just disappeared."

"Really?" his father asked.

I looked up and saw Caleb standing in the doorway. "I may have blacked out and when I woke up, he was gone. Disappeared. Then I drove to where I thought I could find you, dad. And when I couldn't find you, I drove here."

"No phone call?" John asked.

"I couldn't risk it, dad. You know that," Dean replied.

"So you'd rather risk my ass?" I asked.

"Yeah," Dean smiled. "And you enjoy sending demons back anyway."

"Yeah," I admitted. "What can I say? This gig adds a lot of excitement to my life."

Dean laughed, and so did everyone else in the room. Except John. But then again, he didn't laugh often. Dean caught it. "Dad?" he asked.

"Dean, Seth knows something," John said.

Dean's eyes widened at his father's statement. "What do you mean? Did you tell him?"

"It wasn't our place. It's yours," I replied.

"Really?" Dean asked.

"Yes," John answered.

"I don't know," Dean whispered, running his fingers through his hair.

"If you want my opinion," I started, "I think you should tell him."

"What?" the three of them asked.

"I think it's a good idea. It might do you some good to have a friend that you can talk to about all of this."

"Are you kidding me, Bobby?" Dean asked. "You want me to expose him to this life? To take away his innocence."

"He was possessed. This life stole his innocence from him," Caleb said. "I have to agree with Bobby. I think that it would be better if he learned about our world from you and not from some other demon."

"And what happens when we leave?" Dean asked. "Then I won't be able to protect him."

And there was that damn complex of him once again. "Who said that it was your responsibility?" I asked.

"I bring him into our world, I have to keep him safe. They used my friends to get to me."

"He'll just keep asking you to tell him," I told him.

"What am I supposed to do?" Dean said. "Write him a hunting manual for dummies?"

"It takes a dummy to have write one of those books," Caleb replied. "You'd be perfect."

"Funny," Dean sneered.

"Just answer his questions," I said. "If he wants a manual, then write one." Dean rolled his eyes at me. "But in the end, it's your decision."

"I want to tell him," Dean replied. "But I don't want to leave him vulnerable once we have to leave."

"You won't," I reassured.

"You don't know that."

"Nothing is ever fully known living this lifestyle."

Dean let out a sigh and I knew that Dean was going to add a new friend to our circle of hunters. Then Rumsfeld started to bark up a storm, turning everyone's attention to the entrance of the room. "Puppy's sensed something," Caleb said.

Then the barking stopped. And I got worried. Caleb walked out into the living room to check out who or what it was. The front door swung open and I heard a large object, most likely Caleb, fall. I looked around the room for anything I could use as a weapon, while John paced around the bed to make sure the salt circle around it wasn't broken.

And faster than we could blink an eye, a small figure was on the bed next to Dean. "Dean," he whispered.

"Sammy?" Dean replied. Caleb reentered the room dusting himself off.

Sam threw his arms around his brother and hugged him carefully. Even though Sam was careful, Dean groaned when he hugged him. When they parted, he glanced his brother over. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Dean replied. "How did you get here?"

"Pastor Jim just finished his hunt and we drove all the way here."

"What was he hunting?" I asked. I knew that Dean didn't want his brother to be worrying about him. He really hated the role reversal.

"That's not important," Sam said quickly. "Are you sure you're okay?"

It made me feel good inside that no matter how old those two got, they were still protective and caring of each other. "Yeah, I promise," Dean replied.

"Liar," Sam replied, easily reading through is brother's lie. "But whatever."

"I'll be fine in a few days."

"But we left you."

The three older hunters made a move to walk out the door to leave the brothers alone, but I saw the look in Dean's eyes. He didn't want to be left alone with his brother. Not yet. He couldn't be vulnerable around his little brother. I put an arm out and stopped John and Caleb from walking out of the room. "Sam, don't worry about it."

"No," Sam yelled adamantly. "I told dad we should've waited for you. You could've died."

Jim chose that moment to walk into the room. He joined us and stood against the nearest wall and watched the brothers. "I think you're over-exaggerating," Dean replied.

"I don't think I am, Dean. I knew something was wrong. I felt it. You could be dead right now."

"Quit being such a drama queen, Sammy."

"No!" Sam yelled and a tear fell from his eyes. "You don't get it, do you, Dean? You're my brother. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here, right now. And I don't even want to think about what dad would do if he wanted revenge for the deaths of two people he cared about. You keep us sane, Dean."

"Full-time job there," Dean replied. "And don't be mad at dad for leaving me. It kept you safe."

"And what about you? I don't want to bury you," Sam whispered.

My eyes widened at the confession. Those words relayed all the fear Sam had been feeling the past week. "I'm the older brother. By the laws of everything I'm supposed to die before you." And there was Dean to lighten the situation, like he always did. Even as inappropriate as it was.

"But not at seventeen, Dean."

"I'm not dying at seventeen," Dean countered. Thirty. Caleb gave him until the age of thirty.

"You don't get it, Dean. You almost died," Sam stressed.

"What did Pastor Jim tell you? And besides, almost dying is all in a day's work with the life we live."

"You're impossible."

"You love me anyways," Dean countered with a grin. Sam tried to hold back a yawn. "Have you slept at all, Sammy?"

"No much," Sam replied letting the yawn out.

"Why?"

"Worried about you."

"Jump on the other side of the bed and close your eyes."

"Dean, I'm not a kid anymore."

"I don't give a damn. You're my little brother. You need to get some sleep." Sam sat and stared defiantly at his brother. "If your afraid I'm hurt, I'm here to tell you that I am. But I'm safe now." He looked at me and me, no dishonesty in his eyes. He really believed what he was saying. "So, you can stop worrying about me."

"I have to worry about you. Because you don't worry about yourself enough."

"Fine," Dean replied. "But come and get some sleep. Caleb, Bobby, Pastor Jim and Dad won't let anything happen to us. To me."

The kid sure got that right.

Both brothers looked to the adults in the room and we nodded. Sam walked around to the other side of the bed and laid next to his brother. Within a few seconds, the youngest Winchester's snoring echoed throughout the room. Dean ran his hand through his brother's hair and smiled when Sam relaxed a little more. "Dean," John said. He looked up at his father. "Watch over your brother."

"You know I will, dad," he replied.

The four of us walked out of the room into my study. "Anyone want to fill me in on what I missed?" Jim asked, oblivious to everything that went down.

"Caleb," I said. "Tell him what's going on." Caleb nodded in reply. "John, outside, now."

I walked outside and John followed me. We walked into the middle of the car yard to talk. It was the best spot on my lot because it was away from everything. And when the inevitable fight broke out between us, no one would be able to hear it.

Here is the next chapter. I know it was a little lengthy and not much went on, I just didn't know where to cut off the chapter. I didn't really want to separate it into two or add something to the next chapter because the end deserved a chapter all its own. One chapter to go. Thanks for reading everyone. Please review. Lil-Rock