Dean's Rules Chapter 2 Big Brothers Always Learn, a supernatural fanfic

I don't own supernatural. There's a song called Until the End by Breaking Benjamin in this chapter; I don't own that either. The song has one swear word in it (I think) so if you don't like that don't look it up.

Chapter 2 Big Brothers Always Learn

Dean was uneasy. He didn't like going to the bar closest to his house. Some of the neighbors knew he was of drinking age yet, and he might encounter a few of them there.

He didn't understand why Kylie was dragging him here anyway. A bar was a bar, right?

But she insisted that there was something different here.

He had asked her to go somewhere else, reminded her that plenty of people around here knew he was underage, but she said they wouldn't care and literally dragged him in.

She wouldn't tell him why she was so eager to attend this particular bar. The only thing Dean knew was that they had to get there before twelve o'clock for some reason. She had actually freaked out when she realized how late it was. It was eleven fifty, and she was looking worried that she had missed whatever it was that she had wanted to show him.

She whispered something into a man's ear, and he replied in the same low tone.

Dean had just gotten home from another hunt, and if he couldn't get some then he wanted to go to bed.

Sam had been odd lately. Dean was busy with work, and hardly ever saw his little brother. When he did see Sam, his younger brother looked tired and maybe even a little pained. He was withdrawn, exhausted, and skinny. It was worrying Dean, no matter how much his father assured him it was normal for teenagers. Besides, he thought he had seen the fading signs of a black eye on his baby brother's face.

He was going to say something to Sam tomorrow, no matter how much the little boy tried to avoid him. It would be Saturday, so Sam would have no excuse not to spend the whole day with him.

Whatever answer Kylie had gotten seemed to make her happy, because she was practically glowing when she turned to Dean.

"You'll like this," she assured him. "He's just amazing. Sings exactly the kind of songs you like listening to."

She had brought him here to listen to someone singing? Why hadn't she just played the song for him?

He would listen, but he didn't expect to be impressed.

All these thoughts flew out of his head the second he saw exactly who was walking onto the stage.

His baby brother was dressed in his typical over shirt and blue jeans; nothing special, and certainly not something that would normally stun Dean. No, what stunned him was the fact that Sam was carrying a microphone, and the locals were cheering him on like he was a regular.

"So, this is my last song of the night," the boy who looked like Sam said. It was Sam's voice that issued from the child. This was Dean's baby brother on that stage! "Anyone have any requests?"

He seemed so at ease up there on that stage that Dean knew his brother had to have been doing this for awhile. Sam was shy, and normally avoided crowds like the plague. To see him so confident was mind blowing for Dean.

How had he not noticed his brother was sneaking out? Sure, he wasn't home much, and when he was he was working, training, or doing the unmentionable with a girl, but surely he would've noticed if his baby had snuck out?

His father had told him to lay off being so protective of his brother. He told Dean that he couldn't baby Sam forever. Told Dean that doing so was going to get Sam killed.

John had known that card would get Dean to do as he asked. Dean would do anything for Sam, even if meant making both of them miserable in the short term.

Dean had started working and training obsessively to get his mind off what he would normally be doing with Sam.

He couldn't sleep without being able to hear Sam breathing either. He had started bringing girls home so he could pretend it was Sam's breathing in the bed next to him. Not that he wanted to do the same things he did to the girls to Sam, but he couldn't remember the last time he had fallen asleep without being able to hear his little brother sleeping in the next bed. Hell, half the time Sam still ended up in his bed, either from a nightmare or because he couldn't sleep.

And then his father had started pulling him away for hunts. He loathed leaving Sam home alone. Intellectually he knew Sam could take care of himself, but in Dean's head he was still the baby Dean had taught the alphabet to. He had to protect and cherish something so small and fragile.

But his father had insisted he needed help with the hunts. Dean didn't want his father hurt, so he did as he was told and accompanied the older man half way across the country. He got panic attacks sometimes, realizing how far he was from his Sammy; that he wouldn't be able to do anything if Sam needed help.

Before this town Dean would sit Sam in his lap every night after all their hunting duties were done. They would do Sam's homework and then just and talk until bed time. Sometimes Sam would fall asleep on Dean and the older boy would carry his baby to bed. He didn't care how chick-flick this was, or about the fact that Sam was technically John's baby.

In Dean's mind their father had given up any rights he had to be called Sam's father when he left five year old Dean alone with the one year old baby for a full month. During that time Dean had to be the man in the house, making sure Sam was fed, bathed, and had clothes.

It was also during that time that Sam had started talking. His first word had been odd for most babies. Most babies would say dada, but Sam insisted on proving his intelligence very early in life by saying Daddy. And this word hadn't been directed at the picture of their father he was always showing Sam. It had been directed at him. It took him forever to train Sam out of calling him that, and he was only glad Sam had started talking very soon after John left so he had the time he needed.

Sam calling him Daddy had solidified for Dean exactly what role he would be playing in his baby brother's life. It made him feel so special when Sam called him that. Sam would still do it sometimes, when he was so sick or upset that he wasn't paying attention. Dean knew exactly who his brother looked to as a father, and it wasn't John.

So screw what his father said; he was going to be having an extremely long and detailed talk with Sam about what his little boy had been getting up to lately.

Kylie's hand shot into the air, and Dean did his best to blend into the crowd so Sam didn't notice him. It wasn't hard; his brother had eyes only for Kylie.

"Yeah Kylie?" Sam smiled.

Dean wondered how Sam knew her name.

"Until the End," Kylie requested. Dean had never heard of a song with that name before. "He makes them up," Kylie muttered into his ear when she saw his confusion.

Sam smiled. "Until the End it is then," he declared.

The band started up instantly, and Dean was stunned by the type of music Sam wrote. It was his type of music. Heavy rock.

"So cleaver, whatever,"

Sam began, and it wasn't his voice coming out of his mouth,

"Ventriloquist," Kylie commented into his ear again.

Dean hadn't known his baby brother was a ventriloquist. Then again, he hadn't known his baby brother sang at bars either. He had known he shouldn't have backed off like his father ordered him to.

"I'm done with these endeavors

Alone I walk the winding way,"

And Dean got a glimpse into how his brother had been feeling lately. Alone. Dean had never meant for Sam to feel alone.

"(here I stay)"

A background singer added in. Dean wondered exactly how long Sam had been doing this. It had to be quiet awhile if the band knew the song and Sam had written it.

"It's over,

No longer,

I feel it growing stronger,

I live to die another day,

Unit I fade away."

This left Dean feeling extremely worried. That was what his Sammy was feeling like? How had things gotten so bad with out him noticing?

Dean wondered what was over. Was Sam feeling like his relationship with his family was completely ruined? Was it something else?

Their father had made certain to keep Dean as far from Sam as he could lately, but that didn't mean Dean didn't feel guilty as hell for letting Sam get so far away from him.

John would keep Dean from leaving the garage where they worked in the day time to pick up Sam from school. He said a walk couldn't hurt the boy.

Then he would keep them training separately until Sam went to do his homework. After that John would practically shove him out the door with instructions to go to the next town over and find a girl.

He would stay out late and bring the girl home sometimes, knowing that his father would shove him right back out again if he came home too early.

Dean hardly ever even saw his younger brother lately. He didn't understand why his father was so desperate to toughen Sam up (as he said he was doing) but that was going to end now. He was going to tell John exactly where he could shove it.

"Why give up, why give in?

It's not enough, it never is.

So I will go on until the end."

Dean could easily see Sam feeling that way. It always seemed like no matter how hard Sammy worked it was never enough for their father.

But Sam always persevered. He never let John get to him. Dean didn't raise his baby to be a quitter.

"We've become desolate,

It's not enough, it never is.

But I will go on until the end.

Surround me,

It's easy,

To fall apart completely,"

Even more concern rushed through Dean. Sam had always been so strong. There was never any possibility of him ever falling apart.

And what was surrounding him? Was it figurative? Was all that Sam was doing finally wearing him down, making him over tired? Or were people doing something to him?

"I feel you creeping up again.

(in my head)"

Dean got the distinct feeling that the background singer's line was a complete lie. What ever was creeping up on Sam, it wasn't in his head.

"It's over,

No longer,

I feel it growing colder.

I knew this day would come to end,

So let this life begin."

Chills ran up and down Dean's spine. The song was scaring him. Sam was cold. Cold used in this context reminded Dean of all the dead bodies he'd seen. This number was quite large, and even thinking of his Sammy like that made him want to panic.

And what life was the little boy talking about? A life without Dean's support? He was feeling more guilty every second. He should've seen these things. He should've known somehow.

"Why give up, why give in?

It's no enough,

it never is,

So I will go on until the end.

We've become desolate,

It's not enough,

It never is,

But I will go on until the end.

I've lost my way,

But I will go on until the end."

That settled it for Dean that this was about family. Family was the one thing Sam knew he could always turn to; the one thing he knew would always be there for him. Dean was Sam's family; no one else. And Dean hadn't been there lately. Sam was lost.

"Living is,

Hard enough,

Without you f**** up."

Dean was pretty sure that part wasn't directed at him. Sam never swore at him, no matter how angry his little brother got with him.

So that meant his baby was having problems with something other then Dean's disgustingly neglectful (in his own opinion) behavior lately. Whoever had hurt his brother had better hope they never met him.

His protective instincts were kicking in stronger then they ever had been before. Sam would be lucky if he could get Dean to leave him alone to walk around the block for awhile. Dean planned on making up for lost time, and with the summer coming up he knew he could do it.

He would be quitting his job soon; his brother needed him more then the mechanic in a town so small that half the people didn't even own cars.

Music played for awhile, and Dean took the opportunity to ask Kylie something that had been bothering him.

"Does he write the music too, or just the lyrics?" he asked.

"Both," Kylie answered, obviously awed by Sam's skill. Dean couldn't blame her; he was fairly awed too.

"Why give up, why give in?

It's not enough,

It never is,

So I will go on until the end.

We've become desolate,

It's not enough,

It never is,

But I will go on until the end.

I've lost my way,

But I will go on until the end.

Ohhh ohhh ohhh,

The final fight I'll win,

And I will go on until the end."

At least Dean was now assured that Sam wasn't giving up. God he had screwed up this time. Why had he done as his father ordered?

And then it was done, and Sam was leaving the stage. Dean watched his baby with sorrowful eyes.

"You know him," Kylie observed.

"He's my baby brother," Dean whispered. "God, I knew I shouldn't have listened to Dad," he added brokenly, putting a hand over his eyes.

"He wanted to toughen Sam up. Told me that my babying Sam was going to get him killed. I will do anything for Sam; anything. I didn't like cutting myself off from him, and now I see it was a terrible mistake."

He didn't know why he was telling all this to Kylie.

"How long has he been coming here?" he asked.

"You answer my question, and I'll answer yours," Kylie proposed.

"Depends on what your question is," Dean deliberated.

"Are you hunters? Everyone in town thinks you are, but we don't want to ask Sam incase he doesn't know about it."

That was the last thing Dean had expected her to ask, but he answered anyways. "How do you know about hunters?" he asked guardedly. So maybe he didn't really answer.

"We had a couple hunters here a while ago. They killed a shapeshifter in front of the whole town. At least we know what's out there now," Kylie finished with a grim look and a shrug.

"Sam's come here every day sense about half a week after you got here," she added. "Everyone loves him. I don't think there's one person here who wouldn't willingly take him into their house. Hell, I think Carl's even got adoption papers for Sam to sign if we ever learn that you're doing more then just neglecting him."

"Wow," Dean breathed. "I need to talk to him. I'm taking him home. Do you mind getting home yourself?" he asked.

"Course not," Kylie answered playfully. "We did drive my car here, you know." Suddenly she became more serious. "I'm warning you right now though; you hurt my baby brother again, and monsters will be the least of your worries."

How such a small girl could pull of being so intimidating didn't have a clue, but she did manage it.

"I won't hurt him," Dean promised. "Sammy has his big brother back now, and he isn't losing me again." It was as much of a promise to himself as it was to her.

"Good," she smiled. "Now get your ass over there and take your brother home."

"Thank," he said, meeting her eyes squarely.

She just smiled and vanished into the crowd.

Supernatural

Dean approached Sam from behind through the crowd. His little brother was sitting at a table with his school books spread all over the table. Several adults were sitting near him, playing the role Dean usually did during homework time.

"Sammy," he said, his hand landing on his brother's shoulder from behind.

The boy spun in his seat so fast that Dean had to steady him to keep him from falling.

"Dean?" he whispered, his eyes wide with fear.

It broke Dean's heart that his baby was afraid of him. Sammy was his and it was time both Sammy and John learned that.

"It's time to go, little brother," he commanded softly.

Sammy didn't argue; he simply gathered his things and said his many goodbyes.

"I'll be back tomorrow, if I can," he promised. "Will you be here tomorrow, Mrs. Smith? I still need a little help with that math assignment."

"Of course Sam," the women smiled at him.

"Common Sammy," Dean coaxed. He took his baby brother's left hand to lead him out, not caring how much that made Sam feel like a baby.

He was a baby. He was Dean's baby. And it was time the world learned that.

Dean walked at a normal pace (for him) out of the bar and towards their house. They had to walk because, like Kylie said, Dean didn't have a car with him.

He was thinking about how he was going to make everything ok with Sam again. First thing he was going to do was have a talk with him. Then-

"De….slow down, please," he heard a small voice begging. "I can't keep up."

A funny look passed over Dean's face. How long had it been since Sam called him De? Much too long. And it gave him a glimpse of exactly how much something was wrong with Sam. Sam didn't say "De" unless he was half asleep, very tired, sick, or in a lot of pain, or was feeling playful.

He realized the pace he had set would be normal for him, but for his much shorter brother it must have been very fast.

He also realized Sam was walking with the slightest limp. He would be finding out what that was about tonight.

Dean had thought Sam would've hit his growth spurt by now, but his baby brother hadn't. He remained just as small as he had been when he was around eight. Dean knew he had to start growing again soon, but while Sam was so small he was going to be taking advantage of it.

He swung Sam up into his arms, holding his brother on his hip like he had when Sammy was a toddler. Sam gave a squeak of surprise, but didn't protest. It might have been because he didn't want to be in anymore trouble then he was already in, but it still made Dean worry.

He worried even more when he felt small arms wrap around his neck and Sam's head fall onto his shoulder.

Why had he let things get this far?

He carried Sam the rest of the way home, not bothered at all by his little boy's nearly nonexistent weight.

No words passed between them during the walk. Dean got the feeling that Sam was preparing to be scolded and severely punished. If Dean had been John then maybe Sam would've been, but Dean was never letting himself turn into his dad. He had come close this time, but never again.

Never again…..

So I know the song wasn't really Sam's type of music, but it's my type of music, and the lyrics fit so…

I seriously love this story. It's so much fun to write. I hope you guys are all enjoying it as much as I am.

Thoughts?