Most days Sam gathered driftwood for an evening fire and to cook their dinner which was usually the fish caught with a pole that mysteriously appeared one day. Dean guided the cleaning and deboning since it was a two handed job and Sam got the hang of it quickly.

One day a ranger showed up at the dock and looked in Sam's bucket to find a pumpkin seed and a few perch, all legal size. The ranger asked the kids if they had a license and the younger one was honest and said no. He advised them to purchase licenses as soon as possible. The omega had one arm in a sling and his good arm around the boy and the look on his pretty face was hard as if daring the ranger to do something. He noted both of them looked neglected.

The boy gestured to the old bucket, "Sorry Sir, I'll put 'em back." He dumped the fish back in the water and the two gathered up their things to leave.

"You two wait here," the ranger went to his truck and came back with a small cooler, "you won't have fish for dinner but you might like this better," he opened it up and took out a couple of ham sandwiches, an apple and a couple cans of root beer, "my wife always makes too much."

The omega's expression softened, "Thanks ranger whatever your name is."

"Ranger Dan."

Sam gratefully took the food, "Thanks, Ranger Dan."

…..

Dean was down to the last two doses of his pain medication. He'd been halving the doses to stretch them out. He was still experiencing pain, the kind that made a person nauseas and break out in a sweat. He decided to take a whole one that night and crawled into bed.

"Hurry up and heal stupid shoulder before dad gets back…"

That was when he heard it, the unearthly howl of a werewolf off in the distance. This was bad, very bad because he was injured. A wild eyed Sam threw open the screen door, "Dean, did you hear!"

"I heard. Close and lock the door and the windows. That's all I can do tonight."

Sam did as he was told then got into bed with his brother and they waited, Dean with a pistol loaded with silver bullets at the ready and Sam with a silver blade.

"Sam, tomorrow morning we need to call Bobby. I can't fix this on my own and I sure as hell am not letting you go out there." It was a tough thing for Dean to ask for help but he didn't want anything to happen to his brother or anyone else for that matter.

He'd have to drag Bobby into their mess.

….

When that black cherry El Camino pulled into the campground parking lot the brothers were relieved when they recognized the vehicle. Jamie emerged and took off his aviators, his blue eyes lit up when he spotted Sam and Dean. He took long strides to get to them and hugged the hell out of Sam but was gentle with Dean.

"Bobby will be here by morning. I was a lot closer so he gave me a call." The omega hunter observed the campers milling around, "Lots to eat here for sure."

That night they kept the fire burning in the stone circle outside the cabin. Jamie was alert, listening for another howl or noise of something large breaking through the woods. He kept trailing his nose through the air, checking for the stink of musky, damp fur or urine marking. Dean did the same, copying what the older hunter was doing by utilizing his strong omega senses.

By morning Bobby arrived looking worn from the long drive. He brought along sub sandwiches and after they finished eating he rested for a bit while Sam and Dean filled him in on what had happened.

Bobby was upset over Dean's injury and the fact John just left them here because he was too damn lazy to drive the boys back home. The alpha kept how he felt to himself because the boys didn't need any more self-imposed guilt. Bobby was taking his boys home.

…

Bobby and Jamie were gone most of the day and into the night while Sam and Dean stayed behind.

The hunters came back just before dawn, bruised and bloody. Thankfully the blood wasn't theirs. Bobby said it was a couple of stragglers without a pack of their own and saw the campers as easy pickings. Dean asked if anyone had been hurt or killed and Bobby broke the news.

"Sorry son, they killed a ranger. I'll stop and call the authorities from a payphone on the way back."

Jamie had his eyes fixed on the rocky shoreline, "They ripped his heart out and ate the meaty pieces…fucking savages."

Dean was almost afraid to ask, "Do you know the guy's name?"

"Dan…Dan Micklson."

Dean whispered, "Ranger Dan," then walked away.

Sam was left to wonder if God cared about humanity at all or perhaps the deity had a real mean streak. Maybe this was all some cosmic crapshoot with no rules whatsoever. Sam saved the apple the ranger had given them; he polished it on his shirt and took a bite.

"Thank you Ranger Dan…"

…

When it came time for the four of them to leave, Jamie gestured toward his El Camino, "Well Sam, you're going to get that wish of yours and ride with me." The preteen jumped in the air and let out a whoop. Now he got to ride shotgun in a cool car next to the mysterious omega. Sam hoped Jamie liked easy listening.

Dean grumbled as he got into Bobby's truck.

Bobby rolled his eyes while the teenager complained about Sam getting to ride in the El Camino with Jamie.

"Gee, sorry princess, you're stuck with me and my old truck. Let Sam have his moment, it's a big deal for him and you rode in it last time."

"Yeah I know, but I wanted to talk to Jamie about personal stuff."

Bobby handed him a candy bar, "Eat this, maybe it'll sweet up that mood of yours."

"Oh man, my favorite. Thanks Bobby and thanks for taking us back home."

"Why didn't you call me, kid? You know I'd go through hell or high water to get you boys safe."

Dean looked down, plucking the loose threads on the hole in his jeans, "I don't wanna start a war between you and Dad." He rolled the window all the way down and put on the sunglasses he swiped from the camp store.

"You let me worry about that when the times comes."

"Sure Bobby."

"Cause that always turns out so good…"

….

Sam had his hand out the window, catching the breeze. Wichita Lineman was on the radio and Jamie was singing along. Sam thought he had a really nice voice but not as nice as Dean's. Jamie bought him an iced mocha coffee drink with whipped cream on top and having coffee with a grown up only added to Sam's new feelings of maturity. They were now miles away from that fishing cabin, dead Ranger Dan, werewolves and hunger.

Jamie glanced over at the kid with the whipped cream moustache. Sam had grown quite a bit since the last time he saw him.

"Sam, you've got a little something on your lip."

Sam's tongue swiped across his upper lip.

"How have you and your brother been doing?."

"Dean hurts, I can tell but he pretends he's ok. His pain medication is almost gone cause I checked and he's been cutting the pills in half to make them stretch."

The omega reached over and patted Sam on the knee, "Damn, kid, that sucks. Bobby will take care of you both now."

"He's touching my knee…ok don't say anything weird…"

"I've got three armpit hairs."

"Oh crap, why did I say that? I sound like a dumb kid…"

Jamie put his hand immediately back on the steering wheel, "Well that's something, Sam. Congratulations, you're becoming a young man of sorts."

"In school we had health classes about puberty and we learned about it all, omega, alpha, beta and female. Everyone gets hair."

"Oh god, he doesn't want to talk about puberty does he?"

Sam looked down at his crotch, "I feel weird."

"Hey, every kid your age feels weird and let me tell yah, it doesn't end once you present. Those feelings last straight through your teens, at least they did for me."

"Really?"

"Really. Look Sam, it's all going to work out. Whenever it happens (when you present as an alpha because I can tell…) you'll be fine. You are super smart, a handsome kid and your kind. That's a triple threat right there!"

Sam got a mischievous grin that showed off those devastatingly cute dimples, "Do you have a crush on me?"

"Sure kid, if you were six years older and even then I'd be robbing the cradle. There's granola bars in the glove compartment. Stuff one of those in your gob and simmer down."

….

Sam and Deans rooms were just as they had left them except for a fine layer of dust which Dean took care of. Sam stripped the beds and got the laundry going.

Supper that night was nothing fancy, just hot dogs and that was fine by the boys. It had been an exhausting couple of days and sleeping was more attractive at the moment than eating, though it didn't stop Dean from gobbling down four with the works.

That night, Sam stayed with his brother and they slept better than they had in months. Here Dean could heal and let down his guard for a while and Sam could be a kid.

…

The trill of peepers and a chorus of crickets filled the air and Bobby found the night sounds comforting. Sitting out on the porch with Jamie and having some beers was the closest he'd gotten to relaxed in ages.

They talked about random things and avoided anything to do with hunting because it consumed their lives and a body might go mad if that was all he thought about. Having his boys home again was a comfort.

The conversation turned to Dean, and Jamie told his friend what Sam had said. Bobby decided a visit to the doctor was in order to get an x-ray. He was already dreading telling Dean who had his issues with doctors.

"Bobby, I might as well tell you so it won't come as a surprise but I'm certain Sam will present as an alpha. I'm guessing he has a ways to go since he announced he has three armpit hairs."

The elder alpha put his beer down and took a swig from a sliver flask instead.

"Well that's just peachy."

TBC