Thin Line

Chapter 12

Summary: John is walking a thin line. His obsession with hunting will jeopardize one son physically and both sons emotionally. Limp Sam to come.

Warning: Touchy subject!

Note: Thank you for reading! I really appreciate all your reviews and PMs—you are awesome! I think I replied to all of them, but if I missed someone, I'm sorry and thanks!

Enjoy...

Dean was rubbing his hands together in anticipation as the waitress came back with a large tray holding two big plates that were practically overflowing with food.

"Jeez Dean, you were so hungry that you had to order two dinners?" Sam laughed at his older brother's appetite.

He can afford to eat, as many dinners as he wants, you however, just need to stick to your lettuce.

"Naw, I'm not that hungry...one of those is yours." Dean said with a wide toothy grin.

The smile dropped off Sam's face as the waitress set the plate of food in front of him—steak, mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, bread and a large side salad.

"Look." Dean pointed to the salad. "I got you the plain salad you wanted too."

Sam's mouth was hanging open as he stared at the food. Dean was already cutting his steak and shoveling mash potatoes into his mouth.

"Your gonna catch flies Sammy." Dean said with his mouth full, pointing to Sam with his steak knife.

He must he kidding. This is low, even for Dean.

Sam finally looked up from the large plate of food. "This is a joke right?"

"No, it's your surprise. You don't have to thank me or anything, after all what are brothers for?" Dean said when he saw Sam wasn't eating he nudged Sam's shin with his foot. "Eat up."

Don't even think about it.

"D-dean...I can't...I—"

"Sure you can. Dad's not gonna find out, I'm not gonna tell."

Sam just shook his head and pushed the plate away, the aroma of the food was becoming like a siren's song calling him in. "I-I-I...Dean...I just can't."

"What do you mean you can't?" Dean looked at Sam for a minute trying to figure out what he meant, then a saw that sling that Sam's injured arm was resting in. "Oh...I get it, you need me to cut your meat for you. Why didn't you just say so, you don't have to be embarrassed." Dean grabbed Sam's plate and started cutting the steak into bite-sized pieces.

"No, Dean I can't eat it."

"Why not?" Dean asked pushing the plate back to Sam.

"It's a lot Dean and I still have a bunch of weight to lose."

"You're eating it." Dean said firmly.

No your not...

"I'm not eating it Dean."

"Sam this is stupid, just eat it."

Tell him 'no' damn it!

"No."

"You're taking this whole thing way too seriously."

This is serious...your freakin' huge!

"Come on Dean, this is serious, innocent lives are at risk."

"What do innocent lives have to do with your eating habits?"

"Well, um...I have to get skinny—"

"You're already skinny!"

Ha!

Sam scoffed. "I have to be skinny enough to get into that camp—remember?"

"I'm not a freakin' idiot Sam, I remember the hunt. I just don't see why you and Dad are being so stupid about this, if you ask me, you're asking for trouble."

"It's for the best...we can't just leave those kids out there with no protection and if I have to skip a few meals so that they won't die then so be it."

"I hear you Sam, but you still have to eat."

P-lease, you do not have to eat.

"Dean—"

"Sam I know you collapsed because you're not eating enough. You're making your self ill and I won't have it!"

Ha! Listen to him going on as if you're one of this people with an eating disorder. You're a weakling that's why you passed out, not because you're sick.

Sam laughed. "Come on Dean, your acting like I really have a problem. I'm just pretending—acting, like Dad told me to. It's not like I really have an eating disorder." When Dean didn't look convinced, Sam added. "You believe me don't you?"

Dean looked Sam in the eye for moment. He knew that if Sam was lying he would break the eye contact. Dean was comforted when Sam didn't look away, Sam gazed steadily back at Dean with a goofy smile on his face.

"I believe you Sam." Dean replied returning Sam's smile with one of his own.

"Good."

"Do me a favor though?" Dean asked.

Sam knew what Dean wanted from him so he said nothing.

"Just eat it Sam, please? I know it's a lot and if Dad finds out he'll be really pissed, but..."

We just went over this!—you cannot eat that. What do we have to do to drill this through Dean's thick skull?

Sam sighed in frustration.

"Sammy please? It'll make me feel better."

No, no, no, no, NO!

"Dean I already told you I—"

"It'll ease my mind...I won't be so worried about you."

"I can't!" Sam snapped.

Sam wasn't the only one who was losing his patients. "Why not?" Dean growled.

"We've been over this Dad said—"

"I don't care what Dad says! He's being an asshole." Dean yelled. Sam was taken back by the sharpness of his brother's voice.

Dean's loud voice got the attention of some of the other customers; he didn't notice or care though. However, Sam slid down in his seat, self-consciously looking down at his hands, hoping to avoid the harsh stares.

"Dean..." Sam pleaded with his brother to calm down.

"Don't 'Dean' me! Eat it or I swear I'll shove it down your throat!"

Sam knew that Dean's treat was not an idle one, so faced with that ultimatum Sam picked up his fork.

Fine, eat, but only a tiny bit.

Dean watched Sam closely, he had a big grin on his face and he nodded encouragingly at Sam. He couldn't quite place the expression that he saw on Sam's face.

Sam bit his lip nervously as he looked at the plate of food; he poked a steamed carrot with his fork. Sam stabbed the carrot after a while, but before bringing it to his mouth; he looked up at Dean helplessly.

"Do I have to?" Sam asked.

"Unless you like the alternative better?"

"That's okay." Sam replied. He looked back at his plate; he let out a soft whimper.

Dean finally realized that Sam's expression was fear—he looked terrified.

"Sammy it's not gonna bite and Dad's is not going to find out I promise." Dean reassured him.

Sam finally gave in and put the carrot into his mouth. He couldn't stand it anymore. The smell of the food was overwhelming.

He started to inhale all the food on his plate more quickly than he even thought was possible.

Slow down! Damn it, stop!

Sam ignored it. His eating was mindless. He was eating so fast he couldn't taste anything.

Dean finally broke through to Sam. "Jeez, Sam, slow down. You're gonna choke."

Sam realized what he was doing and slowly set his fork down. He looked down at his plate. It was nearly empty save a few pieces of steak and the bread, along with the side salad that hadn't been touched.

He finished chewing the food that he had in his mouth. "Sorry." He muttered. He looked down as if he was ashamed.

"Don't be sorry. I guess you were hungry after all huh?"

Sam nodded slowly.

"Eat some more." Dean insisted. "Just remember to chew this time."

The damage is already done. You might as well finish it.

Sam picked up the fork again and, at only a slightly slower pace, cleaned his plate.

"Are you gonna eat that?" Sam asked pointing to Dean's bread.

"Go for it." Dean said handing the bread to his brother.

"Thanks." Sam quickly polished that off too.

"So, what do you say?—Do you think we need some dessert?"

Sam was about to object and say that he'd had enough, when the waitress reappeared at their booth.

"Would you gentlemen like to see a dessert menu?" She asked.

"That'd be great thanks." Dean replied.

The waitress handed each of the boys a menu. "I'll be back to get your order."

"You know what you want yet Sammy?"

Sam glanced over the menu, there all kind of desserts: pie, cake, pudding, ice cream. He could already guess that Dean was getting the blueberry pie.

He scanned through his options a piece of chocolate cake—he couldn't remember when he had last had chocolate.

"I think I'm gonna get the chocolate cake." Sam told Dean. "What about you?"

"Pie, blueberry pie." Dean replied. Sam shook his head and laugh, Dean was so predictable.

Sam watched the waitress set the cake in front of him. He quickly grabbed his fork and took a bite, as much as he wanted to savor it, he couldn't bring himself to do anything, but devour it.

When Sam finished his dessert, he wiped his face on his napkin. He looked up from his plate to see Dean staring at him.

"Jeez maybe we could sign you up for one of those eating contests, huh?" Dean teased. Sam looked down, clearly embarrassed. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah." Sam replied.

Dean had paid the bill and the boys were about to leave when they heard a familiar voice call from behind them. "Dean!"

Dean spun around and saw Betty waving to him from a booth where she had been sitting with a few of her friends. She went to the boys. "Hey guys. Are you feeling better Sam? I heard about what happened."

Sam could feel his face turning red, but he responded to her question with a nod, although he didn't look at her.

Great, the whole school probably knows by now.

"Good." Betty said. She looked up at Dean. "It's so nice of you to take a night off from seducing teenage girls to send some time with your little brother. I know how hard that most have been for you."

"I try." Dean shrugged in mock modestly.

Sam felt extremely awkward standing in-between two lovesick teens, who had forgotten he was there because they were so caught up in their banter. He backed away from the two and decided to wait for Dean at the car.

"I bet there are lots of broken hearts tonight...or empty beds."

"You can't please everyone, besides I'm trying to cut back."

"Oh really?" Betty giggled. "You might be able to find a Sex Addicts Anonymous meeting at the church, if you're really serious about quitting." "Maybe Sammy and I'll stop by on the way home."

Instead of continuing the teasing, Betty looked up at Dean shyly. "I wanted to call and make sure everything was okay—you know with Sam, but a realized I never got your phone number..."

"I don't think I ever got yours either." Dean replied with a big goofy grin.

"Well, here." Betty grabbed a paper coaster a near-by empty table and wrote down her phone number. Dean did the same and then the two exchanged numbers. "Call me sometime."

"Definitely."

"See ya." Betty said heading back towards her friends, who had watched the whole scene and giggle at the two.

"Wait!" Dean called as he watched her walk away. She turned around. "I-if you're not doing anything later tonight, wanna go to the movies?...with me."

"I'd like that."

After Dean took down directions to Betty's house, he looked around for Sam. He knew Sam had probably decided to wait for him at the car.

Sam was already sitting in the car when Dean got in. Dean had a big grin on his face when he looked at his brother.

"Guess Betty doesn't hate you anymore, huh?" Sam asked in an uninterested voice.

"Not anymore." Dean replied he pulled the coaster out of his pocket and waved it in Sam's face. "She gave me her number."

"Neat." Sam grunted then turned away from his brother to look out the window.

"Neat? Neat! Is that all you have to say? I just got Betty's number and we're going out to the movies after I drop you off."

"Good for you Dean." Sam said trying to put a little enthusiasm in his voice. He really was happy for Dean; he was just now starting to reap the consequences of overeating.

Sam's actions were finally catching up to him. His stomach had grown accustom to eating less, over the last few weeks it had shrunk. Now, as a consequence for overeating, Sam's stomach was cramping horribly.

He was so full he thought he was going explode, but worst the thing of all was that he finally realized what he had done. In his mind, he tried to remember exactly what he had eaten.

He could only remember looking down at his empty plate.

Hey there friends,

Another long wait...I'm sorry.

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, I really appreciate it and thank you for being patient. I hope you enjoyed the update.

Summer always brings the magical gift of uninvited relatives...namely my brother, who insists on staying up all night trying to conqueror Rome (on his computer game). I'm seriously considering changing my locks.