The brothers were grateful for the temperate weather, the safety of the beach and a cloudless sky filled with stars but mostly for having each other.

Sam kicked off his green flip flops and rolled up his jeans then headed to the water. He dipped his toes in the gentle waves lapping at the shore then jumped back to the safety of the sand, "Whoa, that's cold!"

Dean got a kick out watching Sam run up to the waves and then backing away before the water touched his feet and he laughed when Sam slipped and ended up soaked anyway. Sam grabbed his flip flops and dashed back to his brother seeking warmth.

Dean used his own t shirt to dry his brother off and draped Sam's wet clothes over a large piece of driftwood.

"Are we going to sleep here, Dean?"

"Sure, it'll be fun like camping."

Sleeping in Baby was out of the question, he wouldn't risk going back to get the keys. It took a lot of booze to get their dad that drunk and he was in a foul mood, Dean knew it without the man saying a word. Sometimes when John got that way he slept with a pistol right next to him and Dean didn't feel like getting shot because their old man had mistaken him a monster or intruder.

Sam pointed out the various constellations and then brought up the subject of aliens. Dean was pretty skeptical about the whole alien thing until Sam pointed out if there were demons, vampires and werewolves, why would the possibility of aliens be all that farfetched. It was a good argument and eventually Dean agreed there was a possibility. Other subjects included Sam's lime green flip flops, where he got them and most importantly, why he'd wear them in public, the amount of sand Sam would be cleaning out of his crack in the morning and why Dean wasn't allowed to drive yet and how they could remedy that and many other important subjects.

Sam rested his head on his brother's thigh and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, taking in the smells of pine, lake water and the cloying scent of Cashmere Bouquet from Dean's shower. The brothers not only relied on visual and verbal cues but also could tell each other's physical and emotional states with chemical signals given off by their bodies. The closer the bond the easier it was to detect any changes.

He waited until Dean's breaths came slow and steady, ensuring his brother was fast asleep. Sam did something he'd never dare if Dean had been awake; he sniffed his brother's crotch. Sam had done it before many times without his brother aware, mostly for relaxation and comfort when he couldn't sleep. Dean was after all, Sam's entire world. Whatever it was added to Dean's essence, Sam liked it a whole lot.

…

The next morning the brothers found their dad showered, shaved and nursing a cup of coffee. He seemed to have bounced back from last night.

John told them to sit down and they did, like two good boys.

"I'm leaving for Bobby's tomorrow. There's something going on and he needs my help."

Sam and Dean both perked up at the mention of Bobby Singer. Dean likened Singer Salvage to his birthday and Christmas all rolled into one. He'd learned more about vehicles during their trips to Bobby's place than even from his dad. When Dean wasn't out hunting with him, the gruff man would cook them home-style breakfasts and most of the time there'd be a pot of something wonderful simmering on the stove.

Sam loved Bobby's extensive library and the hundreds of strange objects he'd gathered over the years. His memories of Bobby Singer were mostly good ones, even though the man was a drinker like their dad. He might have been rough around the edges but Sam recognized genuine warmth beneath the man's tough exterior.

"Awesome, I love it at Bobby's. What are we hunting?"

"You're both staying here, Dean."

Dean stood up and took a challenging posture, "Why? I'm a good hunter and you know I can help, dude just look at my kill score."

John wasn't used to Dean standing up for himself and the alpha didn't like it one bit. "My name isn't "dude" and I said you aren't going so sit down and shut up."

Dean stayed right where he was and without thinking about consequences blurted out, "This is some straight up bullshit! Give me one reason why I can't go."

The big alpha was in Dean's face in a matter of seconds, he jammed his hand between is son's legs and squeezed, "Because I don't want you tearing open on a hunt."

Dean let out a gasp from the sudden, intense pain, causing his knees to buckle. In survivor mode now, he shoved his dad to escape and ran to the safety of the beach.

Sam let out a growl which didn't sound all that threatening but he tried his best. He called his dad a big jerk and then ran after Dean.

The morning was a complete clusterfuck. Dean challenged him for the first time and then shy little Sam the good boy, growled at him. John knew he'd have to explain why the boys didn't come along to Bobby which meant he'd have to tell him about Dean. John could hardly say the word "omega" in conjunction to his son let alone tell someone.

Linda stood in the open doorway with hands on both hips, glaring at the alpha, "What's with all the noise and why did I see your boys hauling ass out of here?"

John smiled in an attempt to charm her but it was lost on Linda, "It was just a little family disagreement."

….

Sam found Dean on his back floating in water and staring up at the endless blue above him. Sam swam on over and popped up right next to his brother, "We should get some eggs and have fried eggs for supper. Eggs are cheap."

Dean turned and gave his brother a little smirk. There was nothing like a dose of Sammy to chase away the pain, "We don't have a pan to cook 'em in. I guess we could use the ramen pot." He righted himself and hugged his little brother, "Thanks Sam."

The water was cold but the embrace was warm and Sam held onto him tight, "Dean, are you hurt, I don't get why Dad said that."

"Don't worry, I'm not hurt."

"I called Dad a big jerk."

"Ah, can't disagree with you this time."

"Sam smiled against the crook of his brother's neck, "I growled at him…I never did that before."

"Hey, don't get in trouble on account of me because I handle myself when it comes to Dad. Everything will be ok, I promise."

…..

Early the next morning the boys heard their dad leave and come back a short time later. Both pretended to sleep. Dean cracked an eye open and watched as John loaded a duffle bag with newly cleaned weapons and a few clothes. He closed it when the alpha turned to look at them. They felt their dad's big rough hand lightly touch each of their heads followed by a deep sigh. Then came the sound of heavy boots, the door opening and closing and then the familiar sound of Baby brought to life and ready for another run.

They went to the window just in time to see her turn onto the road and disappear. Dean found a bag of groceries on the table and a wad of pool sharking cash. Whatever the amount, he'd try to make it stretch over the coming weeks because they had no idea when John would be coming back. There was neatly written note with a list of Bobby's numbers and instructions to be good and not get in any trouble.

…..

A week later…

Sam woke late that night to the sounds of his bother groaning and found him curled up in a ball and when he checked Dean seemed to still be in a fitful sleep. This had started three nights before and by each morning his brother looked like hell which was saying something considering how beautiful his was. Dean had dark circles beneath his eyes and shambled around like the walking dead.

Dean's appetite had increased so much he was downing packets of coffee creamer and hot chocolate mix he swiped from coffee bar because his body craved the calories. Sam learned to be careful with words so as not to upset his brother in anyway but that still didn't stop Dean from getting angry at little things or crying over movies that weren't even sad.

Sam was out of his element as caregiver when it was usually the other way around but he was glad to do it. He made sure not to fuss over Dean too much or show how worried he was and risk getting pushed away. Fiercely independent and not used to showing weakness, Dean wouldn't stand for any special treatment. He'd spent most of his life proving he was strong, capable and worthy.

Soon his world would change forever.

TBC