Disclaimer: I own nothing; not Sam, Dean, Benny, Amelia, or anything else involving Supernatural; this is purely written for pro bono entertainment.

Your promises, they look like lies...

He had no way of knowing how far gone his brother was, what still remained of him, if anything. A year ago, Dean never would have threatened to kill someone, a woman that was obviously important to Sam with such sincerity that Sam was forced into silence. He had tried to deny the fear seizing his chest once he had felt the unnaturally cold, powerful grip of his brother's hand on his throat, but the fangs only confirmed those fears in a sickening moment of clarity that left Sam reeling.

Dean had hoisted a sad and wary Sam from the ground and told him he had five minutes to get a bag of his things together. Any hope Sam thought he had of grabbing a weapon from the bedroom while Dean waited was dashed as his older brother had made a point to follow him, while telling the other vampire, Benny, to put Amelia in the Impala Sam had parked in the driveway. Dean patiently waited as Sam grabbed the keys, and it didn't go unnoticed how carefully he made sure not to touch the icy hand as he gave them to his brother, who paused to look at Sam before tossing the keys to Benny who caught them easily and turned towards the front door, a still unconscious Amelia in tow.

Sam refused to look in his brother's direction, much less lock eyes with him, while filling his bag that he had set on the bed full of clothes and his laptop, among other necessities. When Dean had given a soft warning about Sam not attempting to reach for the knife he practically sensed was under the pillow, or maybe pushed in between the mattresses, Sam gave a slight nod, but said nothing.

Normally, the second they were alone Sam would have been doing everything to get Dean to open up, would plead for him to explain, to see how happy and relieved Sam was to see his brother alive.

But, his brother wasn't alive, not like him, not anymore. Sam couldn't deny that there was still a sense of relief, even after seeing what his brother had become, that he was here, was, relatively, okay. This wasn't a normal situation, wasn't the Dean he was used to talking to, trying to connect with, and all Sam wanted to do was think things through before opening his mouth and confronting what his brother was now. He couldn't afford to make a mistake, for Amelia's sake.

As he now sat in the front seat of Dean's baby, his brother flicking his thumb over and over against the wheel, as though giving it loving caresses, it was painful how familiar the situation was. Cruising down the road, music on, sitting side by side. The smirking vampire in the backseat seated beside Amelia, the knowing glances Benny made over at her still form as she slept, the pure hunger Sam saw in the vampire's eyes as he allowed himself a few glimpses in the rearview mirror, ruined the familiarity that should have felt like home, should have been comforting. It was anything but.

The motel they pulled into was small, old, and besides the lone vehicle that must have been the manager's parked outside the office, vacant. Parking in front of what must have been the already checked-in room, Dean turned off the engine. Out of the corner of his eye, Sam watched Dean slip the keys into his front pocket, and for the first time in the last half hour, turned to face his brother. Dean slightly turned to meet the gaze, the silence between them in that moment making Sam feel as though his chest would explode with emotion, his determination to protect Amelia from the monster in the backseat the only thing grounding him. If it wasn't for the fear he had for the innocent woman who had been dragged into this part of his life (like Jess, like everyone else) he might have broke down in that moment from the severe lack of Dean in his brother's cold stare.

Just as quickly, the moment passed, and Dean was addressing Benny, head cranked over his right shoulder.

"Take her inside, I'll keep a look out...we'll be in shortly."

Benny didn't hesitate, stepping out of the car smoothly, quietly shutting the door as he made his way around the car. As Benny reached for the door handle on Amelia's side of the car, Sam tensed.

"Dean-"

Dean had rolled down his window, ignoring Sam, but sensing the change in his heartbeat.

"Hey," Dean rested his arm on the door frame, watching as Benny glanced over at him, "Not even a taste man. She's not for you."

Benny gave a slight shake of his head in disappointment, but acquiesced with an "Alright, brotha," before opening the back door and easily lifting Amelia into his arms. As Benny gently used his foot to close the door and walk towards the motel room, Sam found himself bothered by the exchange.

She's not for you

...Brotha

Sam couldn't figure out which had gotten to him more. The fact that he couldn't choose should have been the most concerning, but, strangely, it wasn't.

Dean did just as he had said, carefully scanning the parking lot and the windows of the neighboring rooms, making sure there wasn't a single movement. Once he was satisfied, Dean let out a deep breath, and when he finally locked eyes with Sam, his little brother felt his chest constrict with how familiar those eyes looked now. Where he had just seen nothing that reminded him of his brother, all he could see now was Dean.

What was more surprising, and possibly even more painful, was the small smile that curved Dean's lips and the words he spoke next.

"It's good to see you, Sammy."