The sound of bacon sizzling filled the kitchen as Bobby attempted to make sure it didn't burn black-unlike the last two times he'd cooked it. Sam sat at the table, yawning and eyeing the pan hungrily, like a bear just awoken from its hibernation that hadn't been fed for months. It'd been just less than two weeks since John had dropped Sam off and vanished into the night, just less than two weeks since they'd heard from him. The first few days Sam hadn't stopped asking questions, "where's dad gone?", "when's he coming back?", "why didn't he say bye to me or dean this time?"
It was just like every time John had dumped him there, but-also just like every time-after a few days he settled down and there was no mention of his father, not even in passing. It was strange, really, how after only days away from each other it was like Sam pretended that John didn't exist. It was only when the roar of the engine and slam of a car door could be heard that Sam was even willing to hear the name John.

"Damn, I wish bobby would hurry up with this bacon. You must be starved," Dean grinned, leaning back on his chair. "At least here we get Bacon. Dad probably couldn't cook it if he tried."
"Bobby doesn't make it nice sometimes" Sam frowned.
"What was that?" Bobby turned from the pan, "I didn't hear a word ya sed'" When Sam didn't reply, Bobby shook his head, Using his spatula, he flipped his bacon onto a plate and turned off the stove, Sliding the plate in front of Sam, he went to pull out a seat at the table.
"NO, That's Dean's seat!"
"Dean's se-? Oh right." He sighed, taking the seat across from it instead. "This better?" Sam nodded, picking up a piece of bacon and chewing it slowly.
"Here" Bobby passed him a napkin to wipe the shiny grease of his hands, but Sam left it in the middle of the table.
"I bet that grease tastes as good as the bacon" Dean smiled. Sam stuck his fingers in his mouth, wiping them with his tongue to lick off all the grease, causing Bobby to cringe.
"That's gross, boy." Sam laughed, almost giggling as he licked his lips. At least this bacon had worked out better than the last couple of batches. "After breakfast how about me and you go toss that ball around?"
"Sounds good to me." Dean shrugged, "Can't hate baseball. Me and you can be on a team together, Sammy." Sam nodded, swallowing the last of his bacon and again licking his fingers.
"I've never played baseball before. We watch it sometimes on TV"
"Get that down you then, don't see why today can't be a first."

Sam bolted up and was out the door before Bobby even had time to stand, Dean ran behind him just as quickly and tackled him to the ground, laughing. "Bet you can't get up."
"Deeean, get off"
"C'mon sammy, it's just a bit of fun. but hmm...Maybe if you ask nicely."
"Deeeeeeeeeean" Sam groaned, pouting. Dean laughed again, rolling onto the ground next to day Sam would be big enough to push dean off when he did that-or even better, do it back to him.
"Hey, Kiddo, you Okay?" Bobby rushed over, and bent down to help Sam up.. "I saw you trip. Could have been a nasty fall" Sam blinked, dumbfounded, and looked down to Dean; who was still laid on the floor.
"I'm okay" He nodded, smiling sheepishly. "Can we play now?"
"'Course we can. Here. go long. Let's see how well you do." He ran as Bobby threw the fall through the air, and it soared over his head. "That's okay, we'll try again. You wanna go get that or should I?"

Once an hour or two had passed, Sam had almost mastered being able to catch the ball (he still needed to work on his throwing, he couldn't throw very far. Dean had sat on the sidelines the entire time, on the hood of one of the many cars in Bobby's yard. The sun was rising higher in the sky, and they showed no signs of going inside any time soon. Not until Sam needed the bathroom, and Bobby escorted him back into the house. When the young boy came back downstairs, Bobby hushed him for a moment as he spoke into the phone.
"...Don't know, John. You can't keep doing this." A pause "Yeah, I get you're passing through but in the middle of a case? You really wanna-?" Another pause "Okay, yeah. See you tonight." Then he hung up.
"Dean says you were talking to daddy"
"Uh, Yeah." Bobby nodded "He's coming to see you today. Your Dad's coming back again"
"This means we've gotta leave Bobby's." Dean frowned, wrapping his arm around Sam "Dad looks after us though, right? I mean, the food sucks and it's not as fun as it is here but he's dad."
"I like it here, Uncle Bobby." Sam whined, and Bobby sighed.
"I know," he pursed his lips "But your Dad's a good guy. Why don't you ask him if you can play baseball together, huh?"
"We go playing with guns. Deans better than me but he teaches me and Dad says i'll be good one day, but i want to play with balls"
"Me and you can still play Ball, Sammy. Everyday if you want." Dean promised, and Sam nodded, cuddling into him.
"You tell your dad Uncle Bobby says you have to play ball, okay? I'll tell him too. And hey, it won't be forever, i'll see you again before you can say burnt Bacon" Sam smiled at that, as bobby picked him up-pulling him away from Dean. "Now how about we go and finish that game?" They played for the rest of the day, until the impala rolled into the auto-salvage yard once again. Dean missed every shot they threw at him, and he was no better at throwing. Sam got better with each go, and by the end of the day was what Bobby would call "pretty darn good for a kid your age." It was only when Sam heard a car door Slam, and footsteps on gravel outside he ran over to Bobby and gave him a hug. Looking up, wide-eyed and tearful, Sam pouted"...I don't want to go"

"I don't want to go."
"Don't be dumb. You need to. Practice makes perfect." John Winchester scoffed at the boy sat on the old motel bed. Sam rolled his eyes, brushing his long hair out of his face, and looking up from the floor.
"Dad. i'm 13. i'm not a kid anymore.I don't want to go and shoot guns. I want to do what I want to do."
"What you want to do? You mean sit here all day and read?
"Homework? School? friends? I want to be normal."
"You know this, Sam. We're not normal."
"Why can't we be? because you say so?"
"Get your bag. We're going."
"Dad."
"No buts, Sam. We're going. Now."

"I have school today, we can't just run off again. I get my marks back from my test!" John paused before answering, his breathing getting heavier as his anger grew.
"We can have your teacher email them. Most boys your age would be grateful for a day off school." He said, calmly.
"Most boys my age have never even seen a gun in person. Most boys my age have a house, and don't move three schools in the space of a month!"
"At least you're going to school!"
"I don't get it, dad. Why do we have to do this? Even living with Uncle Bobby would be better than this mess!"
"You want to be normal so bad?" John raised his voice, causing sam to flinch and shuffle back on the mattress. "Most normal boys your age don't still have imaginary friends, Sam! Most normal boys your age deal with their life and get on with it instead of constantly trying to get something they can't have. Most normal boys your age would have accepted that their brother was dead." Sam looked over to Dean, who was sat next to him silently, head in hands. He would be there to comfort Sam was this was over, as he always did, but for now he stayed out of the way of it all. There were tears in Sam's eyes now, but John was just getting angrier. He didn't think he'd ever seen his Dad this angry before.
"Dean is my brother, and my best friend and at least he's here. At least he's here and always has been."
"And i haven't?"
"You're making me shoot guns and move around and you don't tell me why. You never tell me why. You're never here, and I never get a reason apart from "work." What work, dad? I do everything you ever ask and I don't get an answer." There were tears streaming down his face now. Dean had sat up, and had his arm once again wrapped around his little brother. John glared down on him, eyes burning with a rage Sam only ever saw when his dad had had a particularly very bad day at work.
"Sammy, I don't expect you to understand." John scoffed, looking down at the floor then back up again, running his hand down his face. "I'm not going to put you in danger. I can't lose you too." There was a pause, before sam sniffed, and seemed to laugh "..You can't lose what you never had, Dad." John gulped, and closed his eyes. There was a tense silence before he opened them again.

"Sammy, I'm sorry. You needed me, and I get that. I'm here now. I get you want school, and you want friends, but this work-these jobs-they're important to me. I'll tell you one day, when I know you can keep yourself safe, but now? right now? Your head's in the clouds and you're too much of a risk. You want school, and a girlfriend, and when I'm not here you're on your own. I can't leave you to fight what I do alone, Sam, It has to be a mutual trust. Try and go with me on this, just for a little longer, and i'll tell you everything. I promise."
"You know he means me, right?" Dean interrupted, causing sam to frown, and sniffle. "He doesn't care about school, or any of that. He won't tell you because you still believe in me." There was a pause, and Sam watched John's patience going as he didn't answer him "Dad doesn't want to tell you anything because of me. Because i'm still here, even though i'm not meant to be."

"I'm never going to stop believing in you, Dean…" Sam mumbled "No matter what Dad says. Screw him and his work." John's face dropped, his eyebrows furrowing.
"You need to grow up, Sam. Join the real world." He shook his head, picking his coat up off the other bed. "We're leaving."
"I don't care what you tell me, dad." Sam stood up, looking up so he was staring his dad in the eyes "Once you were my hero, but now, i just want Dean, and I want school. We're going to grow up and go to college and have a house and families. And you? You're going to be alone without us." Sam grabbed his bag off the floor, and swung it over his shoulder. "Now are we going or can I go to school?" John scoffed again, copying Sam in picking up his bag and opening the door. Sam snatched the keys to the impala and went to go sit down,waiting for his dad to hand the room keys back to the lady at reception. "You know, Dean?" He smiled, talking louder now the two of them were alone-Dean in the back seat of the car, with Sam in the front passenger seat. "We're gonna do exactly what i said, and we're gonna be happy for once."