Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or its characters

It didn't take Dean long to find a motel. As he stopped the Impala, he looked over and saw his brother asleep, head against the window. Deciding that there was no point in waking Sam until he had booked them in, he quietly got out of the car. Making his way to the door of the office he stopped in his tracks. Usually when it was just him and Sam, he would get a double room with two queens, but what if Sam wanted to be on his own, what if he wanted separate rooms?

No, it didn't matter what Sam wanted, there was no way he was leaving his brother on his own, Sam seemed so broken and it frightened Dean. He booked them into a room at the end to try to ensure their privacy. Getting back into the car, he noticed that Sam had not woken and he would have liked nothing better than to let his brother sleep, but he knew from experience that Sam would feel it in the morning, his long frame not made to remain in one confined space for so long.

Parking the car outside the room, Dean quickly opened the motel room door, moving to the trunk of the Impala, he took out his bag. It was then that it occurred to him that Sam had nothing but the clothes on his back, the smell of smoke having filled the Impala. Sam would have to make do with a pair of his sweats and a hoodie until he could get him some new clothes tomorrow, but first things first; he had to get his brother into the room.

As he opened the passenger door, he had to grab his brother to stop him falling out of the car.

"Hey there Sammy, I think you're getting too big for me to be carrying ya!"

Sam looked blearily at his brother, and slowly began manoeuvring himself out of the car. Dean shook his head; it was like watching Bambi taking his first steps, his brother was all over the place.

Finally getting into the room, Sam headed straight for the bed, and Dean couldn't help but notice that his brother had automatically taken the bed furthest from the door.

"No way Sam, you're not going to sleep yet." Dean said as he walked to his brother and began hauling him off the bed. He saw his Sam staring at him as if he had two heads.

"You need to have a shower and get out of those clothes," he continued, realising Sam seemed to be operating on autopilot.

"What, why?" was the only response that Sam could seem to muster, his eyes searching Dean's face as if he would find the answer there. Dean sighed, yep the lights were on but there was nobody home, he couldn't blame his brother though, he remembered his father in the aftermath of his mother's death. He had been a complete and utter wreck.

"Cause you'll feel better Sammy," Dean responded, trying to get his brother to move towards the bathroom.

"But I just want to sleep Dean, please let me sleep," Sam's soft request almost had Dean turn his brother and move him back to the bed, but he knew that his brother needed to get cleaned up and he didn't want his brother waking up to the smell of smoke.

"No Sammy, trust me, you'll feel better," he replied as he got Sam to the door. He almost didn't hear his brother's whispered response.

"I don't think I'll ever feel better,"

It broke Dean's heart to see his brother in such pain. For the second time that night he wished his father were here. Suddenly Sam turned startling Dean.

"I can't have a shower, I've no clothes," Sam said, his voice sounding panicked.

"It's ok, here you can have a pair of my sweats and a t-shirt. I have a hoodie here as well that you can put on so you don't get cold. We'll get you some new clothes tomorrow, ok?" Dean said, handing his brother the clothes.

Sam just nodded, turned and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Dean stood staring at the door and heard the familiar sound of the lock being turned. Taking a deep breath, Dean turned and sat on the bed, switching the T.V. on he watched as the news headlines told the story of how a beautiful medical student had been killed in a fire that authorities believed had been caused by faulty electrics.

Picking up the phone again, he dialled his father, listening as it went straight to voicemail.

"Dad, call me, please. I'm with Sam. Dad he needs you, we both do. Just, call alright?" As he ended the call he heard the shower running and had a feeling that he was going to be in for a long night.

SN

As Sam turned the shower on and slowly got under the hot spray, his muscles thanked him as a wave of relaxation rolled over him. He could still smell the smoke, and when he closed his eyes all he could see was his beautiful girlfriend, pinned to the ceiling, flames exploding and engulfing the room in a matter of seconds. At first he thought that it was just another one of those dreams, the ones he had been having for weeks but had put down to too much studying and not enough down time. If it hadn't been for Zach, Sam would have died there with her.

Standing with Zach outside his apartment building, watching the flames soar into the air, all he could think of was Dean, he needed his family. It seemed to take forever for him to hear the familiar rumble of the Impala, and when he had turned around to see only Dean standing there, he knew that his father really had meant what he said the night he left for Stanford.

But a least Dean was here. Suddenly a horrible thought struck him, what if his father didn't want Dean to be here, what if they had a row over his brother coming to Palo Alto? His brother worshiped their father and never disobeyed him, and Sam couldn't let him start now. Dean had to leave him and go back to their father, he should have never have called him. No, his brother had to leave. He shuddered as he thought about being alone again, but he wouldn't risk the relationship that his brother and father had, he couldn't do that to Dean.

SN

It had been almost half an hour since Dean had heard the shower start, and for someone who hadn't wanted a shower Sam sure was taking his time. Deans knee began to bob up and down, it wasn't that he didn't trust Sammy; he knew his brother wouldn't do anything stupid, but he knew that Sam had never experienced a loss like this. Being a baby when their mother died, his brother never had the connection and feeling of loss the he had felt when he was just four years old. Dean had always tried to stop his Sam from asking questions about his mother, not because he didn't want to talk about her, but because he didn't want his little brother to realise what he had lost.

He was shaken out of his thoughts as he heard the bathroom door open and watched as his brother emerged, his hair wet, falling into eyes. As Sam lifted his head and looked him straight in the eye, Deans breath caught in his throat.

"Dean, I want you to leave." Sam said, his voice stronger than he had thought he would be able to muster. It had taken him quite a bit of time to prepare himself to come out and face his brother, knowing that he would have to be strong in order to get his brother to leave.

For the second time that night, Dean felt his heart stop, searching his brothers face to see what was going through his mind, trying to tell if this was just Sam's emotions getting the better of him or if he was serious. Unfortunately, Dean had seen that look on his brother's face before – the night he told his father he was going to college.

Tbc...

Please read and review - Let me know what you like and what you don't like. I know I said it before but I will definitely have Sam and Dean talk it out in the next chapter.