This chapter has been edited.

Sam stood from where he was crouched behind a rusted-out tan LeSabre. His legs were tingling from having been sat still for so long, and he supposed that he should have gone inside like Dean thought he did, but his insatiable curiosity would not let him leave. It was that that drove him to sit behind the old car and watch the two men by the Impala. He heard every word between the two of them, and he watched every movement they made (except, of course, when he turned his eyes away due to the way things had heated up). He had watched as Castiel had walked past him and into the house, then he had watched his brother kick the dirt in the yard and punch the car until he had worn himself out enough to follow the shorter man into the house. Only after the two had been gone for ten minutes did Sam allow himself to stand on shaky legs.

He wanted to help.

He shook his head, realizing how stupid that was after it was his "help" that had started all of this anyway. He pondered that situation for a moment, why had he told Cas to give Dean space? He supposed it was because he knew that Dean wouldn't be able to handle any level of commitment or affection, he had never been able to. He had just wanted things to go back to normal, and now things were so far from normal it wasn't even funny. He shook his head, thinking maybe he should just leave things to unfold naturally. He scoffed to himself as he walked up to the house and up onto the porch. Right, like that was going to happen.

He reached down to open the back door that used to be white, but was now a solid red-rust color, when he stopped in his tracks, realization ripping through him. What had Bobby said? Would it be best for Dean or best for you? That was only a few days before, but it felt like a lifetime ago. Bobby had been right, granted Bobby was almost always right, but Sam had to come to the realization himself. He had wanted so badly for things to go back to the way they had been before his brother had tried to give himself to Michael that he had told his – Sam shuddered at the word – lover to essentially go away and never come back. He thought he had the best of intentions when, he realized now that, deep down he was only thinking about himself and his relationship with his brother. When had he gotten so selfish? He removed his hand from the door, he needed a plan. He needed a plan to get his brother back together with his angel, but what would he do? He had turned around on the porch, about to take a walk to be alone with his thoughts, when he heard Dean shout through the door.

"Well then give it back!"

Sam ripped the door open and rushed inside to find Dean sitting in a chair across from Bobby, Cas standing a few feet behind him, leaning up against a bookshelf, and…

"Crowley?"

"Sam, glad you could join us. We've just discovered that Bobby here has pawned his soul to me to find the location of Death. I fully intend to give it back eventually."

"Now!" Dean yelled, he had turned around in his chair to face the demon in the doorway. Sam's head was reeling as he made his way to sit down in the chair next to his brother, but there was one thought that made him stop in his tracks and look at his makeshift father.

"Did you kiss him?" And in that moment he felt all eyes in the room swivel to look at the old hunter as he stared at Bobby, who was getting noticeably red under his beard. He looked from Sam to Dean and replied after hesitating.

"No!" He shook his head and Sam was almost convinced until he heard Crowley clear his throat from behind him. Four heads swiveled around to look at the demon who was holding up a phone with a picture on it. A very clear picture of a distressed looking Bobby kissing, well, Crowley.

Bobby frowned and growled. "Why did you take a picture?"

"Why'd you have to use tongue?" Crowley smiled easily at the old hunter in his chair behind the desk and leaned against the doorjamb. Bobby, still very red, sputtered and looked around the room, and Dean shifted uncomfortably. Sam noticed that his hand was bandaged, and he remembered for a moment when Dean's hand had been crushed by Pestilence, then he'd been smart enough to punch a car with it. He scoffed under his breath and looked over at Castiel who was standing just a few feet behind Dean. He looked like he was very pointedly not looking at Dean – and failing. Sam watched as every few moments his eyes would flick to the hunter. His face was stony, but behind the former angels gaze he could see the most the most heart-wrenching display of grief and love that Sam had ever seen. In that moment Sam could see everything that his brother meant to the angel, and everything that the man in the trench coat would do for the man in the flannel, including giving up his entire life, ideas, and sense of purpose to follow the righteous man toward his certain death. In that brief moment Sam regretted everything he had said to Cas, and how he had felt disgusted at his brother. Cas looked up for a moment and locked eyes with Sam, indifference glazing over his features, and it was gone. All those raw feelings were gone and Sam almost couldn't remember what it looked like at all, but he was pulled back to the present when Dean's chair scraped against the worn wooden floor. He stood and began walking toward Crowley.

"Alright, you know what, I'm sick of this. Give him his soul back now."

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

"Can't or won't?!"

"Won't all right?" Crowley held his hands up. "It's insurance. You kill demons, gigantor over there –" He nodded his head toward Sam who was chuckling to himself. "he - What're you laughing at?"

"Nothing, nothing." Sam held up a hand and tried to calm down, but he couldn't contain himself, when Crowley went to draw a breath in to speak again, Sam burst out in raucous laughter echoing around the room. He was doubled over, holding his sides. When he had finally calmed down enough to look up, the look of dumbfounded shock on his brothers' face made him start up all over again.

"What's so funny?" Crowley yelled in agitation over the loud laughter that Sam couldn't hold back.

"It's – It's just – It's just…" He took deep breaths to calm down, wiping away an errant tear. Finally he straightened, able to speak, "I just find it funny that all of you got in a huff over Ruby and now Bobby's selling his soul and making out with demons, and Dean's screwing an angel!" He sighed as he looked from person to person. Bobby looked constipated, Castiel looked hurt, Crowley looked mildly amused, and Dean – well, if looks could kill.

"Yes, I can see how that would be funny. Hmph." Crowley took a swig from the cup he had, made a disgusted face at the amber liquid inside and set it down again.

Sam watched Dean's face work up in anger, turning bright red, and he actually felt kind of scared. "You son of a bitch!" Dean screamed, ungluing his feet and taking a step toward his much taller brother who suddenly felt the size of an ant.

"Dean, I didn't mean anything by it."

"Sure you didn't, just like how you didn't mean anything by telling him to leave? Or by butting your head in where it doesn't belong?! What's wrong with you Sam! What the hell?!" With each word Dean's voice was getting louder until it was resonating throughout the tiny living room. Sam put his hands up in surrender wondering how much he'd just undone between the two of them.

Dean took a few steps closer to Sam and balled his fists up, Sam winced despite himself. "Don't you dare compare him to Ruby! He is nothing like that manipulative bitch and I'm nothing like you! At least he friggin' cares about me!" He gestured toward Cas who was standing stock still and wide eyed against the bookshelf. "And I'm not just using him to get laid!" Dean's voice dropped down to an angry whisper as he stood almost chest to chest with Sam. His voice was dangerously low, his brows furrowed and his eyes pointed. Sam glanced over Dean's head just for a moment and noticed that everyone else in the room had leaned forward to hear better. "Don't compare us to you and Ruby because he's way more important to me than some demon chick, and I swear Sam I'm not afraid to knock you on your ass if you say anything even similar to that again!" Sam was about to say something, anything, to diffuse the triggered bomb that was Dean Winchester, but Dean picked that moment to face the room, throwing his arms wide and screaming. "Anybody else wanna share with the class?!" He looked around, and when no one said anything he turned back around and pushed passed Sam so hard he stumbled. When Sam regained his footing he looked at the dumbfounded group in front of him, the only sound was Dean's retreating footsteps. Finally, it was Crowley who broke the silence.

"Never a dull moment with you hunters, is there?" He looked around the room and vanished. Bobby breathed out and looked from Sam to Castiel shaking his head. He never said anything, he just wheeled himself out of the room, leaving Sam alone with the former angel, neither of them knowing what to do with themselves, or Dean.