Chapter Five

A soft sound of content left Sam's lips as he awakened to find himself nestled in a pair of strong arms and feeling safer than he had in years. The nightmares that normally plagued him had lain silent for once. No dreams of blistering heat, sulfuric flames, or bloodstained sand, just blissful warmth and peace. It was a feeling he hadn't felt since he'd lost Damien years previous.

A soft smile crossed his lips and he turned in his husband's arms, looking up the vampire as he shifted. With gentle reverent fingers he began to trace the man's feature, heart clenching painfully in his chest. For years he'd believed he'd never see them again. That he'd never run his fingers through those short dark locks, never see his gorgeous sea blue eyes again and now, now he was here. He was alive and here and healthy and it made the hunter's heart want to burst in his chest.

"Stop that. Go back to sleep." Damien rumbled, arms tightening around him and he laughed softly, kissing him chastely.

"It's time for me to get up, love. Go back to sleep."

A low whine left his husband.

"Stay."

"Sh, go back to sleep. I'll see you at dusk when you wake. Kay?"

The vampire huffed grumpily but nodded, and allowed him to get up before rolling over and hugging his hunter's pillow. With a quiet giggle, Sam shook his head and left the room in search of his family.

He found them in the dining room eating breakfast and his mom smiled upon his entrance.

"Morning, Sammy. Breakfast in on the stove."

"Thanks, mom." He replied, making himself a plate and a cup of coffee before sitting down to join them. Automatically, Dean shot him a look, brow creased in concern.

"You okay? Dracula didn't hurt you did he?"

He winced. "I'm fine, Dean."

"Good." His father replied gruffly, narrowing his eyes.

"Then maybe you can explain just what the hell happened last night."

He stared at them for a moment, then he spoke in a soft sad voice.

"I met Damien when I was fourteen. He saved my life and we kept in contact through letters and visits whenever we could manage it. Then on our anniversary he asked me to marry him. I said yes and we got married on my seventeenth birthday."

Dean frowned. "That's why you went missing for those three days? You were getting married?"

His brother nodded and looked down. "I tried to tell you guys but every time I went to talk to you there was a new hunt or something so I just didn't try anymore."

Mary frowned at him. "You said he saved your life. Explain."

Sam shook his head. "I can't. There are some things that you guys are better not knowing."

Dean scowled. "That's not really reassuring, Sam."

His brother ignored the statement. "He left for the military three months later and I followed the night I 'left for Stanford'."

John paled.

"You joined the military and you didn't tell us?! The only reason I even allowed you to walk out the door that night was because I thought you'd be safe! Yet, here you're telling me you could've been killed and we wouldn't have even known! What the hell, boy?!" He yelled and Sam shrugged.

"I didn't lie when I said I got a full ride to Stanford and I never actually said I was going. You snapped before I could tell you then you gave me an ultimatum and I took it."

The Winchester patriarch pulled him into a gruff hug. "I'm so sorry."

Sam smiled at him and hugged him back.

"It's okay, dad."

The man shook his head and pulled away but didn't say anything else on the matter and Mary gently motioned for Sam to continue his explanation.

"Then, seven years ago, during the D-day invasion of Fallujah, I lost him. We were in different battalions and w-when we met up in B-Baghdad, he wasn't there." He shuddered and wrapped his arms around himself.

"He'd already been reported missing two days before the meet and I just didn't want to believe he was gone. I didn't wanna believe it! Every night I would listen to the reports hoping one would come in saying he'd been found but when his men met us in Baghdad, they gave me his tags and I just knew. They'd found them in a puddle of blood outside the sight of one of our major firefights." He paused and reached in his shirt, pulling out the dog tags from before.

"H-How were you at Stanford when I came for you?" Dean asked, still processing his brother's story.

"Losing Damien, I-I couldn't take it. You told me never to come back so I didn't. I called the dean at Stanford and asked if my scholarship was still valid and it was, so I left the military and went to finish my schooling since I'd been doing online classes anyways. I got counseling and they diagnosed me with PTSD and maniac depression. I stayed with Jess, who was my friend's ex-fiancée and she helped me a bit. We tried dating but I couldn't get over Damien so it never got too serious. She was my best friend."

John and Dean gaped at their youngest openly. " We could've lost you and we wouldn't have even known." The latter whispered, pulling his brother into a heartfelt embrace and his parents joined them.

After a moment they pulled away and turned to Sam. "You left some stuff out."

He nodded. "I left alot of things out."

"Will you tell us?" Mary asked and he shook his head.

"I can't. I'm sorry."

TBC...

EDITED: 12/25/15