Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Sorry for the delay! It was finals and then traveling and then getting settled and ahhh anyways I'm back in action now! And here's a slightly longer chapter to prove it :) Thank you so much for all the continued support! I love seeing that you are reading and enjoying!

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1995

One month after Dean decided to stay at Sonny's

"You know damn well that's not what I said John." Bobby spat into the phone. "Kid can stay here till he's got kids of his own for all I care. But he's been askin' about you. About Dean."

Sam was just around the corner in the hallway and his ears perked up at the mention of Dean's name. Maybe Uncle Bobby would get him some answers. Sam usually loved his time at Singer Salvage, but this time had been different. It hadn't been days or even weeks. It had been months. He didn't like getting too comfortable anywhere, because then leaving was all the more difficult. He knew that his dad would be back and at this point he was almost looking forward to it. At least then the inevitable would be over with.

"John. John you know that ain't right for – well fine, but how are you gonna care for your boy and hunt at the same time…you know damn well that ain't gonna work for a day…No look, forget it. Sam'll stay with me. No. John… Why, you stubborn a— " Bobby pulled the phone away from his ear and looked down at it. He was fed up with John Winchesters inability to finish a conversation peacefully.

"Uncle Bobby?" Sam piped up as he came around the corner, trying to act casual.

"Hey, bud. You ready for some dinner?"

"Was that my dad?" Sam asked, knowing fully well that it was.

"What gave it away? The shouting?" Bobby asked with a laugh. He put a hand on Sam's shoulder. He was glad that he felt a little more meat on the boy. He'd been working on fattening him up a bit, but it hadn't been easy. Dean was really the only one who could provide enough encouragement in order to get Sam full at mealtimes. Bobby didn't know if the kid felt guilty eating his food, or if he just didn't have much of an appetite when he was nervous about his dad and brother. Either way, it had taken the first few weeks before Sam would really dig into Bobby's home cooking.

"Did he say anything about Dean? Did he find him ok? Are they coming soon?"

"Dean's fine." Bobby said, He would have said more but he knew John Winchester would be content to never speak to him again if he told the little secret about Dean not really being lost on a hunt after all. He didn't mind being cut out of John Winchester's life, but he didn't want to cut his ties to Sam and Dean.

"So they're coming soon then?" Sam didn't want to sound too excited, he really did love it at Bobby's, but he hadn't seen Dean in what seemed like forever.

"Yeah, well I guess your old man will fill you in on everything when he gets here. He said he'd be around to get you in a few hours."

"I'll go pack!" Sam shouted as he ran out of the room and up the stairs. He would have to be sure to pack the paper he had written in school. It was an assignment about heroes and Sam had written his on his one and only hero: Dean.

Bobby was afraid Sam might choke; he was shoveling in his food so fast.

"Slow down Sam, you got time to eat. It hasn't even been an hour since your dad called." Bobby set another piece of cornbread on the boy's plate. Might as well have him all filled up one final time before going back on the Winchester diet.

"Sorry Uncle Bobby, I'm just excited to see Dean again." Sam said through his full mouth.

"Yeah well –"

"You think he got hurt on that hunt?" Sam asked suddenly turning serious. "And that's why it took so long?"

"Nah," Bobby took another bite of chili, "John said he was fine… Safe."

Sam nodded happily, "good."

A series of honks filled the air.

"They're here!" Sam exclaimed jumping up from his chair. "Thanks again Uncle Bobby!"

Sam gave Bobby a quick hug before grabbing his duffle bag and running for the door. Bobby followed. He watched as Sam raced down the porch and into the backseat of the car. Not even bothering to notice the front seat was empty. John sped off before he could.

Poor kid.

...

"Where's Dean?" Sam asked as they peeled out of the salvage yard.

"He decided he didn't want to be a part of this family anymore." John said looking straight ahead at the open road.

Sam didn't know what to say to that. His dad had to be messing with him. Dean was all about family. Dean would never leave them.

"But – he… where is he? Where's Dean?" Sam could feel tears welling up in his eyes.

"Listen to me Sam. Your brother isn't coming back. Get used to it. I'm going to need you to start pulling your own weight. No more fooling around. You're a real hunter now. You understand me?" John made sure his voice didn't waiver. He needed Sam to get it together. They were only two hours away from a hunt and he needed Sam on his game.

John didn't get a verbal response. He could only hear Sam quietly trying to hide his sobs.

"Do you understand me Sam?"

"But – "

"Sam."

"Yessir." Sam spat out. What was happening?

"Good. Now, it's just you and me from here on out. I won't tolerate your disobedience anymore, not in the slightest. There is no room for error. When I tell you to jump you say: how high? Got it?"

"Yessir." Sam answered again. He couldn't think straight. Where was Dean? How had this happened? Why did his father seem so calm about this? How was he supposed to do this without his brother?

"Is Dean – " Sam started.

"I don't want to hear that name ever again. Do I make myself clear?" John asked.

"Yessir."

John took a quick look into the rearview mirror to see his son wiping away tears, It wasn't fair to ask Sam to just forget his big brother in an instant. He knew Sam would have to adjust. Hell, it had taken him a month of bar hopping and self pity before he came to his senses and realized he had another son to get back to.

Maybe it was better this way. Dean had learned enough to keep him safe. Now John could focus on transforming Sam from a helpless child into a strong hunter. With Dean gone, Sam wouldn't have a brother to hide behind, he would have to step up his game.

John had no intention of forgetting his eldest, but he would no longer speak of him with Sam. No use in stirring up emotions on a consistent basis.

...

Now

The ride back to Hurleyville was awkward to say the least. Robin tried a few times to get a conversation going, but it wasn't working.

It was a relief to everyone when the truck came to a stop in the Winchester driveway.

"If you want to come with me I can get you set up in the … spare room," Robin said to Sam with a smile. Sam nodded and followed Robin's lead. Upon entering the little room Sam noticed that it wasn't just a spare room. The walls were painted pale yellow, a rocking chair was set up in the corner by the window, and instead of a bed, there was a baby's crib.

"We can pull the couch in from the living room, it converts into a bed. Not the most comfortable, but it should do until we can get something more permanent."

"No," Sam said, "I can't take the baby's room."

All of a sudden Sam was wondering where the baby was. A babysitter? Dean was a dad?

"Oh," Robin laughed, "there's no baby…well not yet."

"Oh," Sam nodded, "congratulations."

"No," Robin said with another little laugh, "I'm not pregnant."

Sam blushed. He'd seen tv shows and movies with embarrassing scenes like this.

"I'm so sorry. I mean you don't look—"

"Sam, you're fine. I know it's crazy to have a room for a baby when we don't have one yet. We just figured we would some day so…good to be prepared, right?"

Sam nodded, glad that she wasn't upset about the whole pregnancy comment. He liked her. She was kind, which was more than he could say about a lot of the people he was used to.

Dean knocked on the doorframe. "I'm gonna make a supply run. Need anything?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

"What's your favorite food Sam?" Robin asked.

"Whatever." Sam shrugged.

"Come on there's gotta be something you really love." Robin encouraged.

Another shrug. Dean remembered this trait in Sam. Not wanting to be a burden. When Sam was really little he would beg their dad for Lucky Charms and other favorite foods, but he quickly learned that you get what you get and you don't throw a fit.

"I want to have a nice welcome dinner." Robin said, "So what would you like to eat?"

"Um," Sam knew Robin was trying to be nice but he honestly had no clue what to say, "chicken?"

"Perfect!" Robin turned to Dean, "Pick up some chicken breasts and some asparagus. I have everything else we need."

Dean nodded and walked away. He would need to sit down and really talk through everything with Sam soon, he couldn't handle the awkwardness much longer.

...

"You don't have to eat anything you don't like," Robin said. She was watching Sam push around a piece of asparagus on his plate. It had taken him a good ten minutes to eat the other three pieces that had been on his plate.

"No, I really like it." Sam said. He wasn't lying. It was delicious; he had never had asparagus before. The diners he and his dad stopped in at usually only had the typical carrot, pea, and corn frozen veggie selection.

Everything Sam did sent Dean back into his childhood. He could remember watching Sam eat. It took so long it was almost painful, but he didn't eat slow because he didn't like the food. He ate slowly because he wanted it to last longer. The faster he ate, the faster he had nothing left to eat.

"There's plenty of food Sam. You can eat as much as you like here." Dean said. He watched, as Sam turned red. He didn't like all of the attention placed on him. "It's not like when we were kids, we have—"

"I'm fine." Sam said, starting to get a little angry.

"Fine." Dean said.

"So, do you think you'll want to wait awhile before starting school Sam?" Robin asked trying to lighten the mood.

"I don't go to school." Sam said after finishing his last piece of asparagus.

"What? You love school." Dean said, shocked by his brother's statement. Sam used to be a little bookworm.

"It's been five years, Dean. Things change."

Robin got up and starting carrying dishes into the kitchen, hoping to avoid the imminent explosion.

"I get that Sammy –"

"It's Sam."

"Fine, Sam, but cut me some slack here. I mean it's day one of us being back together. Don't expect me to know everything about – "

"I don't expect you to know anything about my life Dean. You left us. You left me." Sam forced himself to look at his brother. To stare him down and let him know that he had done wrong.

Dean sat with his mouth in a tight line. How was he supposed to explain himself. Sam wasn't wrong, but he also didn't have the full story. Plus it wasn't like he hadn't tried to reach out to his family over the years. It wasn't his fault that neither his dad or Sam seemed to want anything to do with him after his exit from the hunters life.

Sam stood from his seat at the dinner table and made a bee line for the front door. He needed to get some space. He needed to get out of Deans little perfect house, little perfect world. He didn't belong here.

"Sam wait!" Dean called out, Within a matter of seconds he had caught up with Sam. He reached out and grabbed the arm of the fleeing boy.

Sam cried out in pain as he felt his stitches rip underneath the bandages. Dean immediately released his grip.

"I'm so sorry! Sammy –"

"It's Sam!" Sam shouted as swung around and landed a punch on his brother's face. The punch came as a shock to Dean, who was out of practice and a bit slow. In the moment it took Dean to compose himself, Sam flung open the front door and started running.

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Thanks for reading! Next chapter will be up soon! Please leave a review! I really really really love them!