Dean stepped outside to see who dared to darken their doorway right before their holiday feast. Bobby followed him with shotgun in hand.

It was John Winchester and Dean thought what a disaster that he showed up now. John left Jamie for dead not to mention the stunt he pulled with Sam that caused the kid to run away. There was no love lost between Bobby and John and Dean wasn't sure what would happen. As for Dean, he was torn between love and loyalty but he didn't want to deal with any problems their dad dragged along with him.

Dean went to the truck, ignoring Bobby's plea to get back inside. He was the only one who could deal with his dad or wanted to. He knocked on the window and John rolled it down, the first thing Dean noticed was his usually handsome and hearty father looked like ten miles of bad road.

John still had that winning smile though which he flashed at his son, "Dean, I came to sign that title over. I know I'm not welcome here but…"

Dean waved to his uncle and yelled, "Dad came to sign the title over to me!" Bobby heard the excitement in Dean's voice. He knew this had been eating at the teenager, the worry that he'd never own the Impala outright and John would use it as a bargaining chip.

Their dad had broken every promise he'd ever made to Sam and Dean. Bobby felt it was a ploy to get his foot in the door but what could the hunter do, turn away John and dash the boys dream?

"Son of bitch…he had to pick Christmas to do this…manipulative asshole…"

Dean went to Bobby, "Bobby, I promise it'll be ok. Can he come in?"

"Son, if he even so much as looks at one of you wrong, I won't hesitate to do what I gotta do."

Dean gave a solemn nod. He knew his uncle wasn't playing.

…..

Jamie barely hid his disgust over having the man who left him for dead right in the next room. The only reason why he didn't take a swing at the alpha was for Sam and Deans sake. The food they'd worked on, their Christmas meal was in the oven keeping warm.

Dean was delighted his dad had all the paperwork filled out and all the teen needed to do was go to the DMV and wait for the new title with only his name on it. John kept a promise and to his eldest it meant the world. Bobby stayed out of it; Dean was old enough to do this on his own.

Sam stood in the doorway, keeping watch like a hawk over a meadow. What happened Christmas Eve between he and his brother had changed the young alpha's perspective on their relationship. He felt Dean was his now in some sort of wonderful and complicated way. He couldn't stand it any longer and stepped behind the chair where Dean was sitting and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder.

The slight smile on Dean's face when felt his brother's touch and the way Sam gripped Dean's shoulder told John everything, he needed to know about their relationship.

John handed the completed paperwork over to Dean and the omega hugged the large envelope tight to his chest, "She's all yours now, son."

"Thanks Dad, you really came through for me."

Sam gave his dad a challenging stare, the look of an alpha quietly staking his claim. It was a scary thing to do considering who the other alpha was. John had ruled over them the majority of their lives and he was the epitome of what an alpha should be in the eyes of society. Also, the man was dangerous and just because Sam was his blood didn't mean a damn thing. His dad smirked at him and that made the teen angry. It seemed like his dad was mocking him.

"Dean, that now that she's all yours, how about you come with me to Michigan on a job? Save some people and take out the baddies."

Dean looked down at his lap, "I was thinking of taking GED classes and looking around for a job." He felt Sam squeeze his shoulder in solidarity.

"I really need your help. You won't have to depend on me for a ride now, you can leave whenever you want. Saving people, hunting things, the family business…is all that just bullshit to you now?"

"No Dad. Ok, I'll go, just leave me the coordinates and I'll be there."

Dean went to his room and Sam stayed behind at their dad's request. Now seated across from John, his dad looked even bigger to him.

"Why can't you just give hugs for Christmas like a normal dad? Why can't you leave Dean alone…us alone. Why can't you just love us in the way a dad should…"

"What's going on between you and your brother?"

"Nothing."

"You're a shitty liar, Sam. You two will feed on each other until there's nothing left."

Sam shook his head, "You don't know anything about us, Dad. Why can't you leave Dean alone? If you love us, you'll leave."

"Of course, I love you, you're my boys. Look Sam, it's a major shitstorm out there and I'd like it if you went along with your brother. You're a Winchester, do you think the supernatural and the darkness won't touch you? Better to play offense and take them out before they take out you."

"No, I don't want to go. I'll stay here and help Dean when he comes home beat up and pissed off."

"Man, you two must be deep into it for you to nut up and talk to me like this. Does Bobby know?"

"Theres nothing to know! He's my brother and I love him."

Bobby poked his head in, "You need help in here, Sam?"

"No, just saying goodbye to Dad."

…..

January 2nd 1998

Dean watched from across the street as buses pulled in and students filed out. He placed a hand on his brother's thigh and squeezed, "Better get going."

Sam reached into his coat and pulled out a cassette and his beat up Walkman, "I made you a mixed tape. You can listen to it in your down time."

Dean was truly touched his brother spent time making him a mixed tape. It was a special, romantic gesture in Dean's eyes. It took a lot of time to pick out and record each song to let the other person know just how you felt about them.

"Wow, thanks Sammy. I'll use it to drown out Dads bitching and complaining." They both laughed. Dean hugged him and kissed Sam on the ear. Sam in turn impulsively nipped the tender skin of his brother's neck. The urge was to bite down but he stopped himself in time. A shudder ran through the omega's body because he knew exactly what it meant.

"I want you bad, Sam…I wish you were coming with me because being apart from you is fucking hell…stay with me and we'll take off and leave it all behind…"

"I want you bad, Dean…I wish you'd stay here with me because it sucks without you. Dad knows…I don't know how but he does and I hate it…"

…

June 1998

Weeks turned into months. It was a strange and quiet warzone out in the world but so far it hadn't disrupted everyday life for most of the regular people out there but in hunter bars the state of the world was discussed amongst them.

John was grateful Dean was hunting with him though the alpha didn't voice his thoughts. A trait that seemed a curse to the Winchester men.

Dean didn't give a thought to all the graduations going on around the country for other teenagers, he was much too busy killing and trying not to get killed in the process. He called Sam as often as possible when his phone got a signal and at least hearing his brothers deepening voice on the other end was a comfort. The day of Sam's birthday had Dean in a funk. He never missed it and this was one of those milestone birthdays where Sam turned fifteen and was driving around with Bobby after getting his temps. Dean spent any private time masturbating to fantasies of an older, bigger Sam.

This night the two hunters ended up in a tiny town called Hope, of all things. People were turning into monsters, at least that's the info they got from the resident drunk at a hole in the wall bar one town over.

The main street was rolled up for the night with no signs of life and after a cursory search, the hunters moved on to local trailer park where except for some porch lights the place was just as quiet except for dogs barking. They found one dog staked out on a chain with hackles raised and growling. He paid no attention to the two strangers as he was focused on something at the edge of the woods. John gestured and Dean went around to the back while he took the front and they converged by the trees.

"If we go in there, we're sitting ducks, we can't see a fucking thing. I wish I'd brought the spotlight."

"Dad, I can run back and get it."

It wasn't a solitary creature this time, several appeared and instead of shambling like the one Dean killed at the school, they were fast like the one Sam encountered. Dean swung the machete, separating heads from bodies and John did the same. The four of the creatures dead, Dean went to his dad who was sitting on the grass, holding his arm. He pulled John to his feet.

"Dad, are you ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, one of them tried to bite me."

They both turned with machetes ready when they heard people approaching. Two men from the park, each carrying a shovel, appeared. One of them spoke, "Thanks for getting rid of them for us. We've been holed up every night since those things showed up. No one believed us and law enforcement left us all swingin' in the breeze with our dicks out."

The other guy stepped forward, "They don't care about people like us. I even got called crazy. He pointed a shovel at the bodies, "we'll burn 'em and bury what's left. Who are you fellas anyways?"

Dean, with a measure of pride in his voice said, "We're the Winchesters and we kill monsters."

….

John sprung for a motel that night, a blessed relief from sleeping in a car and freezing their asses off. A campfire just wasn't going to cut it. The first thing Dean did was take a hot shower and then order them a pizza. While his dad took his turn in the bathroom, Dean called his brother even though it was late.

"Hey Sammy, just wanted to touch base."

"When are you coming home, Dean? You missed my birthday and you never miss my birthday. Anyway, Bobby picked up a lemon poppyseed cake and he let me drink a beer."

"Gross, only you would eat lemon poppyseed cake yah old lady."

"Jerk."

"Bitch."

Dean let out a sigh, "Man, I miss you. You know what, I'm gonna tell dad I'm going back. You and me can hang out, do a little fishing and I'll even let you drive Baby. Um, we can do other stuff too."

Sam's voice went low, "What stuff?"

"Mmm, all kinds of stuff, sweet Sammy. Anything your imagination can come up with. I'd let you do it all, see it all, how'd you like to lick…"

John exited the bathroom. "Anyway Sam, I'll let you know when I get on the road. Bye." Dean wanted to turn away as his dad toweled off his bull balls and big floppy dick but it was like a car accident, you just couldn't help but stare.

"Yeah, take a good look, Dean. You won't find a set like this too often." John laughed when his son blushed and looked away, "fine, I'll put on some underwear."

They scarfed down the whole mega meat pizza and had a couple beers while John planned their next move. Dean figured it was now or never, "Dad, I'm going back. Sam's done with school and I wanna take him on the road, do some fishing and hunting."

"And fucking?"

Dean choked on his swig of beer.

"I know you two have something going on. I could see it at Bobby's house. Hell Dean, I could smell it. This isn't right you know, Sam's your brother and only fifteen. Do you want to fuck up his life? He'll end up hating you," John gestured with his hand, "for whatever this is. Is Bobby ok with this?"

Dean felt like he'd taken a punch to the chest and all the air was knocked clean out of him. He didn't answer as he wracked his brain trying to come up with the words to defend himself and Sam.

John rubbed the flannel fabric of his sleeve over his forearm, the arm where the bite mark was.

TBC