WEEK AT BOBBY'S

Chapter 2.

_ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _

Bobby was in his kitchen in the middle of preparing dinner (macaroni and cheese) when Dean walked into the room in the middle of a yawn.

"How was naptime, kid?" Bobby asked which made the eight-year-old frown.

"I don't nap." Dean protested. "I'm a big boy."

"Oh really?" Bobby asked and raised an eyebrow. "So eight-year-olds are not allowed to nap? What do you call it when you fall asleep in the middle of the day then?"

"If was for Sammy's sake so that he could sleep." Dean explained. "He falls asleep easier when I do the same."

"Mmhmm.." Bobby said, having no doubts that Dean did a lot of things for his younger brother's sake but not really believing that Dean hadn't enjoyed a little naptime with Sam. "Your brother still asleep?"

Dean nodded and got up on his toes to peek at what Bobby was doing.

"What are you making?" Dean wanted to know.

"Mac and cheese." Bobby said. "You boys like that, right?"

"I think so." Dean said with a shrug of his shoulders and Bobby shot the boy an incredulous look.

"Don't tell me you've never had mac and cheese before?" Bobby asked and Dean shrugged his shoulders once more. "Well, you're gonna eat it tonight then."

"I'm not sure Sam will eat much." Dean said.

"Why not?" Bobby wanted to know.

"Because he's sick." Dean said matter-of-factly. "He doesn't eat much when he's sick and he's kinda clingy and fussy too."

"You know a lot about your brother, huh?" Bobby said with a shake of his head while pouring water into the sink from the pot of pasta. "Can you bring me the milk from the fridge?"

"Sure." Dean said, walked to the fridge and opened it up before he found a carton of milk and brought the item back to Bobby.

"Thanks Dean." Bobby said as he accepted the milk.

Dean then dragged one of the chairs to the kitchen counter and climbed up on it so that he could see everything Bobby was doing, and the action of it made Bobby feel warm inside. He guessed this was how it would have been like had he and Karen had kids of their own – had Bobby wanted to have kids of his own - but Bobby didn't mind at all that the Winchester brothers would be the ones he showed the ropes. Cooking wasn't exactly one of his greatest qualities though, but maybe there were other things the older hunter could teach the kids – like how to fix cars for instance. Sam was still way too young to be taught such things, but Dean was getting there. Bobby figured that John was probably busy teaching his oldest how to stay alive and protect his younger brother from the supernatural beings out there, so the salvage-yard owner decided he could as well add a little bit of normal for the boys.

While the food was in the oven, Dean helped Bobby set the table and pour up some milk in the three glasses, before the little clock on the stove went off – indicating that the food was done.

"Go wake up your brother, will ya?" Bobby asked Dean.

"Okay Uncle Bobby." Dean said, making Bobby smile as he used the nickname.

Bobby put the food on the table and it didn't take long before Dean returned to the kitchen, grasping Sam's little hand in his. The younger boy had his teddy in the other hand and Sam looked anything but well. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes glassy and his nose was still red.

"Hey there Sam." Bobby said as Dean lifted his baby brother up on a chair. "You hungry?"

Sam shook his head while rubbing at his eyes and he coughed a little. He didn't say anything and Bobby hated that the kid looked so miserable.

"Well, we still need to get a little bit of food into you." Bobby said and put some macaroni and cheese on a plate before putting it in front of Sam, doing the same thing with Dean's plate.

Sam just stared at the food and didn't look like he had any intentions of eating anything. Dean, on the other hand, was already digging into the food - with an eagerness that made Bobby raise his eyebrows.

"Sam, eat something." Bobby told the youngest Winchester but Sam shook his head once more.

"Sammy." Dean said with his mouth full of food.

Sam looked at his older brother and Dean smiled encouragingly in return.

"Don' wanna." Sam pouted and wiped his nose with his sleeve.

"It's really good." Dean said and made an 'Mmm' sound as he took another bite of his food. "You should try some."

Sam shook his head again and Dean studied his brother's face for a few seconds before he put his fork down.

"Fine, then I won't eat either." Dean said which made the older hunter gape.

"Excuse me?" Bobby said.

"If Sam won't have any dinner, then I won't have any dinner either." Dean said and leaned back in his chair with a little sigh. "I guess that means I'll have to go to bed hungry tonight."

A little frown line appeared between the three-year-old's eyes and his pout grew bigger. It was clear as day that Sam didn't like the thought of being the reason why Dean had to go to bed hungry. He looked pleadingly at his older brother but Dean stayed where he was – just looking longingly at his plate of food. Sam made a miserable sound and looked at his own plate of food.

"You don't even have to eat it all – just a little bit of it." Dean remarked casually. "But if you don't want to…" Dean sighed again and didn't remove his eyes from his plate of food.

Sam, still pouting, looked between Dean and his plate of food a couple of times and looked like he was soon going to be upset. Bobby wondered for a moment if he should interfere in whatever Dean was trying to do when Sam – to the older hunter's big surprise – picked up his fork, stuck it into a single piece of macaroni and slowly put it into his mouth.

Dean smiled wryly, ruffled Sam's hair in an affectionately way and then picked up his own fork before once again digging into his food - smiling wider as Bobby shot him an impressive look. As Dean had predicted Sam didn't eat much, but the younger boy did consume a little bit of his food and that was the important part. Bobby even managed to give the youngest Winchester some liquid Tylenol after Dean had promised the kid to tell him a story by bedtime.

However, Sam didn't actually make it as far as to his regular bedtime since his eyelids were already drooping before they'd even finished eating dinner - his teddy falling to the floor as it slipped from Sam's little fingers. Bobby and Dean were in the middle of a conversation about which school classes Dean preferred the most, when Sam came dangerously close to nose-diving into the remains of his mac and cheese. Dean snaked an arm around Sam's shoulders and – while he continued the conversation with Bobby - made sure the younger brother's head was resting against Dean's shoulder instead of on the plate of food. The sight of it warmed the salvage yard owner's heart.

"Better get Sam to bed before he falls off his chair." Bobby commented as he got to his feet.

"I've got him." Dean assured.

"I have no doubt about that but your little brother will sleep better in a bed." Bobby said and gave Dean's back a gentle pat before picking up the sleeping Winchester.

Sam made a little sound, his head lolling to a stop against Bobby's neck but his eyes remaining closed. Bobby picked up the Winchester brothers' bag as well before he turned to look at Dean.

"Come on, Dean. You too." Bobby said and the older brother sighed a little before he jumped off his chair, picked up Sam's teddy from the floor and followed Bobby upstairs to the guestroom.

"Why don't you go change to your pajamas and brush your teeth before bedtime?" Bobby asked Dean while turning on the bedside lamp. "I'll tuck Sam in to bed in the meanwhile."

Dean looked a bit insecure at Bobby, who still had the sleeping three-year-old on his arm, and his eyes lingered at his little brother.

"I can handle it." Bobby assured the older brother. "Go on."

"Okay." Dean said though Bobby had a feeling that he would rather be the one tucking in his younger brother.

Dean found his pajamas and a toothbrush from the bag and handed over Sam's pajamas and the teddy to Bobby before the oldest Winchester brother walked to the door. He hesitated when he'd reached it, looked over his shoulder at Sam once more before he eventually left the room.

"Stubborn little kid." Bobby mumbled.

He carefully lowered Sam down on the bed, pulled the used clothes off the younger boy as cautiously as possible before he got Sam into his pajamas. It took him a little while to do it since it was the first time he'd ever had to dress a kid and Bobby cursed when he realized he'd put the pajamas shirt on Sam the wrong way around. He eventually got it right though and tucked the covers around Sam's small form before he placed a hand on Sam's forehead. The youngest Winchester was still a little too warm for Bobby's liking but he was confident that the Tylenol would take its effect soon.

Bobby then decided to check up on Dean, but he hadn't moved more than a few steps away from the guestroom before Sam started crying.

"Balls." Bobby muttered before he hurried back into the guestroom and found the upset three-year-old sitting up in bed wailing.

"What's the matter, Sam?" Bobby asked and sat down on the edge of the bed, trying to figure out how to sooth the upset kid. "You hurting somewhere?"

"Deeeee!" Sam sobbed. "Me wan' Deeee!"

Tear tracks were already covering Sam's cheeks and he coughed harshly in between his sobs, worrying the older hunter. Bobby lifted up the kid and bounced him a bit on his knee while shushing him.

"It's okay. Dean will be here soon." Bobby promised. "You can stop crying."

But Sam didn't stop crying; he just squirmed and hiccupped, coughed and sobbed some more. Dean hadn't been kidding when he said that Sam was rather fussy when he was sick.

"Deeeeaaan!" Sam sobbed. "Wan' Deeeeaaan!"

"Right here, Sammy." Dean said as he showed up in the guestroom, threw his used clothes on top of their bag and quickly climbed onto the bed. Bobby let go of Sam and Dean closed his arms around his upset little brother who buried his tear-stained face against Dean's chest.

"Shh, you're alright." Dean shushed the three-year-old while rubbing soothing circles on the kid's back. "You're alright, Sammy."

Sam's sobs eventually ceased to hiccups and sniffles but Dean didn't let go of him just yet.

"You were hurting Uncle Bobby's ears with all that crying." Dean said, brushed Sam's hair out of his eyes and smiled as Sam's tear-filled eyes looked up at him.

Dean used the sleeve of his pajamas shirt to wipe the wetness off Sam's face and the younger brother then buried his face against Dean's chest again.

"Sorry." Dean said to Bobby. "He gets like this once in a while – especially when he's sick."

"It's okay, kid." Bobby said, still so impressed with the unique relationship the Winchester brothers shared. Other kids wanted their mommy and daddy when they were sick or upset – Sam Winchester just wanted his big brother. And his big brother was always ready to comfort the younger boy.

Bobby got up from his position on the edge of the bed, tucked in both boys this time and smiled fondly when Sam snuggled even closer to Dean; one hand clutching his brother's shirt while he was sucking on the thumb of his other hand.

"Sleep tight, boys." Bobby whispered and turned the bedside lamp off before leaving the room – making sure to keep the door ajar just in case he was needed.

He still had some cleaning up to do in the kitchen, some research to pass on to some fellow hunters, and Ranger still needed to be walked before he could call it a night himself. When Bobby put the carton of milk away and closed the fridge door, his eyes caught sight of a drawing Sam had made the first time the boys had stayed at his place. Sam had been coloring the picture while Dean had told Bobby that he knew about the supernatural beings out there because his dad had told him about them. Sam had given the drawing to Bobby afterwards and had happily announced that the doodles he'd colored had been; "Sammy, Dean, Daddy, Unca Bobba and Wanger!" Bobby had put the picture on the door of his fridge for Sam's sake with the intention of taking it down when the boys had left, but he had then subsequently realized that he couldn't find it in his heart to take it down again. He felt the same way about the drawing of the Impala that hung right next to Sam's picture – Dean's creation. Who would have thought the grumpy old hunter from Sioux Falls would have ended up having children's drawings on his fridge?

"Not me." Bobby told himself with a little chuckle.

He then took the tail-wagging Ranger with him outside for a short walk while storing the memories of the day inside his mind. Anything that included the Winchester brothers was worth remembering.

_ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _ SPN _

TBC..

Reviews are eagerly accepted! ;)

-Elisa.