Disclaimer : The Winchester boys are the property of Mr. Kripke, not mine.

Chapter 4

"We're here" Matt announced as Sam brought the Impala into a halt in front of a log cabin. Sam stepped on the brake so hard they were both sent jerking forward. He straightened himself and studied the area.

The cabin was situated in the middle of the woods, nearby the lake, isolated from civilization. The nearest residence should be miles away. Though clearly forsaken, the cabin was in good condition. At least there's smoke coming out from the vent. Sam didn't care about the cabin, but he was relieved to see the Challenger parked in the yard.

Sam turned off the ignition while Matt hopped out from the Impala, eyes looking towards the wooden porch. Sam's breath snagged when he saw Kyle darting out through the front door, running towards him with ashen white face. 'Oh God! Please don't let it happen'

Kyle reached him before Sam could even open his door; he did it for him. For God's sake, Sam almost black out when Kyle hauled him out of the car and half dragged him to the cabin. He was chanting Dean's name in his head and Sam barely see where he's headed.

Things were happening so slow to Sam, as if it had stopped. Everything moved in slow motions and suddenly the world turned so quiet the only sound Sam heard was the beating of his heart. His heart went da-dum-da-dum in his ribcage and it pounded so hard Sam's chest ached.

"Get a grip on yourself Sam, your brother needs you!" Kyle's voice was what brought him back into real world. 'Dean needs me? So, he's still alive?'. The moment Sam's feet were back on the ground, he was already standing inside the cabin, rigid right in front of the door. He didn't even remember walking in.

In the middle of the cabin, slumped tiredly on the couch, coughing out blood, writhing in pain, and screaming and kicking into the air was Dean. There was an older man pinning him down to the couch; holding his arms as Dean thrashed about fiercely in a pain-driven oblivion.

"You! Get your ass over here and keep him still!" the harsh order made Sam's heart jumped. The older man was piercing through him with his stare, making Sam shuddered. The commanding tone in his voice reminded Sam strongly of his old man.

Sam found himself falling under the man's charm as he rushed to Dean's side and took over the man's role as human weight. He crawled onto Dean, grabbing his arms and pinning his body to the couch using his own weight. "What's happening?" his voice was croaky, driven by madding concern.

"The poison's kicking in, making him delirious" Kyle explained as he held on to Dean's ankles. Dean was physically powerful despite his condition; Kyle had to use all the might he had to hold him down. He had almost been tossed to the floor by Dean's unbelievable strength. "Other than that, it was really the pain"

Sam's tears started to pool at the corner of his eyes as he digested the information in his head. 'Dean was in a lot of pain…he was in a lot of pain he was thrashing like this, oh God!'. Dean's face had turned awfully blue – he was hyper ventilating, and every intake of breath was a labor. Sitting on Dean, Sam could feel the heat emitting from his brother's body and the twitching and twisting of his muscles.

"Matt, bring me the cure!" the middle age man turned to Matt, who was standing nervously by the door. Acting upon the command, Matt ran towards the coffee table and reached for a glass – which was filled with concentrated green liquid – and gave it to the man hastily. "Hold his head for me" again Matt didn't hesitate in following the order given to him. He cupped Dean's head in his hands as the older man pried Dean's mouth open.

But as soon as his mouth was opened, Dean coughed; spitting blood all over Sam's face. Sam didn't bother to wipe the blood away, fearing if he let go off Dean, he would smack the cure away from the man's hand. But then, the sight of blood on Dean's body and its stench lingering on his face made Sam gag.

It was not like he never saw blood before. But it was painful to see it smeared on Dean. It reminded him of the night Dean was dead after he was mauled by the hellhounds. The only thing different was then Dean's body was stiff and lifeless, where else now Dean was very much alive – for now.

"Dad!" Kyle called urgently as he saw his father was stunned by the amount of blood coming out from Dean's mouth. His old man huffed and tried prying Dean's mouth again, this time hoping that Dean's body would cooperate with him.

As soon as Dean's mouth was opened, Mr. Callahan – Sam thought that was who he is – poured the liquid into Dean's digestive trait. When he was sure all the substance was inside Dean's system, he closed the boy's mouth forcefully to make sure Dean was not going to heave everything out. Still some of it was able to escape from the corner of Dean's mouth. Dean, though chocking and gagging was able to swallow the cure in a very displeasing manner.

One minute, two minutes moving on to three and later five minutes, still nothing happened. Dean kept on thrashing about; limbs flailing in the air, head tossed and turned until they could hear the vein in his neck snapped, sweats running down his stiff body, muscles twitching and twisting in series of spasms, breath hitched and caught, and damn, Dean was screaming and wailing all the way – rending the hearts of every one inside the cabin.

"Why hadn't the pain cease?" Sam was annoyed, not to anyone, but for being unable to help lessen Dean's pain.

"It'll take some time" Kyle's father said calmly.

Just as Sam was about to retort, he felt Dean's body went limp under him. He looked down and found Dean had finally ceased struggling. His breath was even now, though still far too shallow and faint. They waited for any sign of another tantrum, but he's done with it. Dean had fallen into a restless slumber, much to Sam's satisfaction. At least he's not in pain anymore. So, they let him go.

"Here Sam" Matt handed Sam a washcloth and Sam stared at him with a confused look. He motioned for Sam's face and realization hit. Sam took the cloth and wiped the bloodstain – Dean's blood – dry. Rolling away from his brother's body, Sam looked at the sturdy old man.

"Is that it?" he asked for confirmation. "He's okay now?"

The old man didn't answer him straight away. Instead he took an empty glass and filled it with water from the pitcher. He drank the water halfway to finishing it and gazed down at Dean. Shaking his head gravely he said "The poison was in him for too long…it had already poisoned his blood"

"What?" Sam couldn't believe his ears.

"It solely depends on his willpower now…the only thing we can do is to keep feeding him the cure every 3 hours and we'll see whether he'd survive" the eldest Callahan explained. He came over to Sam and squeezed his shoulder. "He needs you…now he's sleeping, so he won't feel anything…but when he wakes up, so does the pain"

Sam gulped nervously. He looked down at Dean. So he faced the risk of losing his brother, again. 'Oh God! Dean, oh God!'.

"All of us should take turn to look after him"

Kyle and Matt nodded, accepting the task appointed to them. On the other hand, Sam didn't need to be told. In fact, he never plans to leave Dean's side at all. Dean needed him and he needed to be by Dean's side.

Sam reached out a hand and touched Dean's too cold cheek. Dean didn't respond to him, not even leaning into the touch. Sam's heart sank. His brother always leant into his touch, but now Dean was too weak to even lean.

'Dean, please be okay bro' Sam pled silently as a lone tear rolled down his stained cheek surreptitiously.

……………………………………….

"Sam?"

Sam raised his eyes lazily towards the door. He was so damn tired. It had been more than an hour since Dean fell asleep and was transferred from the couch into the bedroom. The bedroom didn't have much to be boasted of – 2 single beds, one bedside table and a nightshade - but it was more than enough for Sam. As long as Dean got all the comfort and rest he badly needs.

When they left the woods, it was nearly dawn. Now, it was early in the morning and Sam had been awake for more than 24 hours and he'd been going on with an empty stomach for more than ten hours. So God help him; he was so damn tired, hungry and drained.

"Hi" Sam wasn't really in the mood of being friendly, but he was talking to his brother's savior. At least he could pretend to be one as a token of appreciation.

The middle age man leant against the doorframe, looked at Dean and then his eyes fell on Sam's weary figure. "I believe we had not been properly introduced" he said.

"Sorry…" Sam realized of his rudeness. He hadn't talk to anyone since he became Dean's loyal bedside companion. "I'm Sam and this is my brother Dean"

"I'm Jack, the boys' father" Jack crossed his arms around his chest. He studied Sam in a way that made Sam shuddered. "You're a hunter huh?"

"Yeah…sort of" Sam contemplated on how much details he should reveal.

"You happened to know Kyle when?"

"Back in Stanford, we're roommates" Sam explained. "That was until I moved out with my girlfriend" Sam gulped. He should stop. Those were the only thing any hunter should know about them.

"What's your last name?"

Sam took too long to answer that question. Burkovitch? Wesson? Smith?

"And I don't want those freaky fake last name you had playing in your mind son" Jack insisted with his jaw tight and his face hard.

"Winchester sir…we're Sam and Dean Winchester"

Hearing the name, Jack's face went black. Sam anticipated for that to happen. Not many hunters were in favor of them after they unleashed hell a year ago. If any hunter were to discover about Dean's trip to hell, or Sam's visits to Ruby, he doubted they would let them live for even a nick of time. 'Shit!' now Sam waited for Jack to lash out.

"Winchester?" Jack asked for clarification as if he didn't hear it right. "You are John's boys?" he was stepping into the room, giving Sam and Dean a once over.

Sam's eyes widened. "You know our father?"

"Let's just say I owed him that much to provide his sons shelter and food as long as they need" Jack's lips curled into a slight smile. "Sam, you should go get some rest and let me take over"

"No sir, thank you…I'll be just fine" Sam was reluctant. He was not in favor of leaving Dean with a stranger. He had left Dean alone with Kyle before, and then with Jack, he had had enough of leaving Dean alone for one day.

"What makes you think that was a request boy?" Jack turned commanding at instant. There was this thing in his intonation which reminded Sam clearly of his father's nature. The rhetoric question made Sam stood up on his feet automatically, straight and rigid in front of Jack.

"Your brother will need you…so you need to stay alert and aware all the time" Jack reasoned and Sam found himself nodding to every word. "Now go to the kitchen and get yourself something to eat…later get some sleep" and Sam walked out of the room mechanically.

"The boys are in the kitchen in case you're timid kind of guy" Jack called from the room. His voice, though distant, was still firm and stern.

'Timid?' Sam snorted.

He reached the kitchen and saw nobody. Neither Kyle nor Matt was there like Jack had promised. So he helped himself with everything. He went for a glass of water from the faucet and looked around for something to eat. While he was surveying, in his mind, Sam was wondering whether all hunters are going to be the same sort of father, army-liked and commanding, just like his and the Callahans'.

But then, what kind of fathers would John and Jack become if they are not hunters? Dean always looked up to John, saying that Sam didn't know who John really was before the fire. That Sam didn't know John well enough to judge him as being an ignorant and irresponsible father. That was so true, Sam didn't know John before the fire, and Sam didn't even remember how Mary looked like. He met her once back in Kansas when they're exorcising the poltergeist, and that's just about it.

Sam sighed. Dean was luckier than him. Dean had the chance to know both of their parents and sometime Sam couldn't help not to be jealous of him. But then again, most of the time he felt sorry for Dean for remembering and for knowing a much better life than what they had now. Then Dean would always be longing for it. It's just that older brother of his was too hardheaded to admit it.

Another thing playing in his mind right now was how faith worked. They were lucky to meet Kyle, who happened to be Sam's best friend in Stanford and later met his father who happened to be John's acquaintance. Sam hoped everything in their life could be as easy as it was now.

Sam peeked inside the pan – spaghetti. That would do just fine for his starving tummy. After all beggars can't be choosers. He took a bowl and scooped a handful of the spaghetti, enough to tame his grumbling stomach. Sitting down on a stool and propping his elbows on the counter, Sam began eating quietly.

…………………………………………..

The spaghetti tasted so good, Sam almost licked every last drop of the sauce on his spoon. Somebody in the Callahan family was a good cook or perhaps it was just because he was starving. He stopped before he could go beyond the unthinkable.

Sam brought his plate to the sink and began washing. When he was finished, Sam started his way to the living room only to be stopped by a racket in the backyard. Instead of continuing towards the living room, Sam decided to take a look outside.

In the backyard, Matt and Kyle were fighting teeth and nails near the Challenger. The Challenger's doors were wide opened and Kyle was crawling in the backseat. The youngest Callahan was standing by the door, pointing here and there before Kyle smacked his hand away.

"I know what I'm doing!" Kyle rebuked as he looked over his shoulder towards the towering Matt. "Now give me the damn rag"

"You're gonna' fuckin' ruin the leather Kyle!" Matt groaned as he handed the rag to Kyle. Kyle snatched it away and began rubbing on the leathered seat.

Sam moved closer. "What's up guys?"

Matt jumped at the sound of his voice and Sam grinned stupidly. He gave Matt an apologetic wave and headed nearest to Kyle. Kyle was scrubbing on the seat, cleaning bloodstain from Dean's hacking his lungs out on their way there. Sam cringed to see the stained leather. 'That's going to be tough to clean'.

"Just doing some cleaning Sam" Kyle explained without looking up.

"In the backyard?" he remembered the Challenger was parked right in front of the porch before. They could always do the cleaning up there. Why here in the backyard?

"The stain's not coming out" Kyle announced and his voice sounded tired and frustrated.

"Of course you fool! I told you to use lime juice" Matt rolled his eyes.

"What can a freakin' lime juice do?!" his older brother snapped, looking at him with an irate gaze.

Sam shook his head; amused with the unnecessary uproar between the two brothers. He could imagine being in Matt's place and Dean taking up Kyle's.

"I told you Sam, the friggin' lime juice won't work" Dean was looking at him tiredly. He had spent almost half an hour scrubbing the bloodstain on the driver's seat. Dad came back from a gig last night, gory and bloody all over. So, the amount of dried blood on the leather seat was predictable.

It was their job to do the cleaning in the morning and Dean just hated cleaning stubborn bloodstain on the Impala's seat.

"Dean, it'll work…trust me" Sam was giving Dean his infamous puppy look and saw his brother pursed his lips. Sam gained victory when Dean hunched his shoulders in defeat.

"Okay…let me have it" Dean reached a hand and Sam handed him the spray trigger filled with lime juice that he had painstakingly prepared earlier that morning. He watched as Dean sprayed the juice onto the seat and wiped the stain away. "Hey! It's working!" Dean was amazed as the stain started to fade bit by bit.

"I told ya'" Sam grinned proudly as he wiggled his brows to Dean.

Dean smiled. "You're good Little Miss Samantha" he reached out a hand towards Sam and ruffled the kid's hair playfully.

"Dean…" Sam groaned, annoyed with the nickname but later giggled when Dean started tickling his ears. "Dean! Stop it!" and he was lost in his battle as Sam started laughing like there was no tomorrow.

Then, he was only 6 and Dean was 10. Still, Dean was put in charge of taking care of everything; from their laundry, to the cooking, to the cleaning – the house and dad's wound, the Impala, everything an adult of the house should do, Dean took care of them.

"You know Kyle, the lime juice just might work" Sam raised an eyebrow towards Matt. Kyle stopped scrubbing and looked up to Sam. Then he reached out a hand to Matt, asking for the lime juice.

"If this doesn't work…I'm going to kick both your asses" Kyle warned rather seriously. Just like Dean, he hated cleaning job. Used the wrong detergent and the leather would ruin. He sprayed the stained spot and began scrubbing again. Bit by bit the stain faded, leaving the leather clean and stainless. "I'll be damned" Kyle went wide eyed.

"See, I told ya'" Matt spread his arms and heaved his shoulders nonchalantly. "You suck at cleaning dude"

"Well…" Kyle came out of the car. "Thanks Martha Stewart" he threw the rag to Matt's face, much to the latter's annoyance.

"You should be kissing my ass…I save your girlfriend from the bad side of Clorox" Matt grumbled as he tossed the rag away.

"Yeah…yeah" Kyle waved indignantly.

"Lucky you dad didn't know about it"

So that was why they decided to move the Challenger to the backyard to be cleaned up. They were keeping the job as a secret from a higher authority. Sam guessed the Challenger was inherited from their old man to Kyle. Just like the Impala was inherited to Dean by John. Sam shook his head as he snorted amusingly.

"Didn't know about what?" the familiar gruff voice made their heads turned at the same time towards the back door. Jack was standing by the door, holding the knob. "And what's the car doing here?" Jack jutted his chin towards the Challenger, smelling something fishy up their sleeves.

"Nothing sir…just cleaning her up" Kyle flashed Jack a stupid grin.

Jack's brows connected awkwardly but later shook his head. He looked at Sam and said…

"Sam, Dean's awake"

TBC

a/n: I was getting rather slow with the update. Maybe the hot weather is affecting me. But then, here's an update for you. Thanks for reading. Next update will be coming soon. Take care!