CHAPTER 7

Sam startled awake, hearing his own voice cry out, and pushing instinctively at the hand on his shoulder. A young boy's shout halted his further movement, and his eyes quickly sought the source. Luke was sprawled a short space away from where he was, staring back at him fearfully. They stared at each other, Luke's fear dissolving as he read the regret on Sam's face.

"Are you ok?" he asked shyly, standing and brushing himself off.

"I should be asking you that, Luke." Sam replied, "I am so sorry…"

"I'm ok." replied the lad, "You were having an awful dream though. I tried to wake you up, but you wouldn't wake. I almost was going to go get Grandpa…"

"I'm sorry." Sam repeated, "I'm awake now. Thanks for trying to help me wake up." Luke settled down beside him, confident that his hero was going to be ok, and with important questions on his mind.

"Is Dean really going to leave you?" he asked, worry conveyed over his face. "Are you guys really that mad at each other?"

Sam shook his head at the question. The fight seemed like it had happened ages ago. And I clearly owe you a huge apology Dean he thought ruefully, as echoes of his dream plucked at his awareness. Realizing Luke was really upset at the thought that the two brothers might remain at odds, he hastened to reassure him.

"Do you ever fight with or get mad at your sister?" he questioned.

Luke looked confused by the question. "She's frustrating sometimes, so I guess I get mad now and then…and occasionally I have to get away from her, but…" he paused, "but she's my little sister." he finished as if that explained everything. And in truth, it did.

"Exactly." Sam replied, then continued when Luke remained looking puzzled. "Dean and I are brothers, and brothers fight from time to time. As siblings, we know what to say or do to hurt each other, and when we get mad sometimes we say those things to get a reaction. But we get over it, like you forgive your sister when she makes you mad. That's what brothers do."

"So Dean's not leaving? And you're not mad?" Luke pressed.

"I'm not leaving." Dean said from the doorway, where he'd been watching unobserved. He had already been on his way to find Sam when he heard his heart-breaking cry and raced for the barn, only to find Luke had beaten him to it. Intending to join them immediately, he'd instead observed with concern the grief on his brother's face, and then had been surprised by Luke's question. The subsequent conversation felt like a mirror of his conversation with Lucy, and served to show him Sam was as regretful of his hasty words as he himself was. He was floored though as Sam rose quickly at the sound of his voice and grabbed him in a rough hug. After his surprise passed he managed to return the hug, even as his concern spiked. This hug felt much like the one he'd received after Mystery Spot. One more slap on the back, then he gently pushed Sam back so he could see his face. "Bad dream?" he questioned softly, desperately hoping that was in fact all that it had been.

Sam nodded, seeing both the concern and the alertness in Dean's eyes. "Just a dream," he murmured, "stand down." Turning back to Luke, he smiled. "See, all good." Luke smiled back at them both, clearly reassured.

"Grandma made pie." he said, already heading out the door, his focus shifted now that everything was settled again in his world.

"We'll be down in a few minutes." Dean replied, his eyes not leaving Sam even as Sam withdrew and went to pet the animals. He turned briefly to shout after Luke, "You'd better not eat it all, buddy boy!" A chortle echoed back, but he was unfazed. Izzy would make sure there was some left, of that he was confident. She took care of him like that. He smiled, realizing the thought of Izzy in place of his Mom didn't sting as much this time. Now to square things with his brother.

Joining him at Eeyore's stall, he ran a hand over the head of the gentle beast, staggering slightly as said head nudged his chest firmly. "Sorry, boy, no treats right now." he said softly, casting a glance at Sam who was staring across the stall clearly without seeing anything.

"Talk to me Sammy," he urged.

"I'm sorry Dean." he replied, voice rough, "I'm sorry for making light of what you experienced." Dean nodded, expecting that, but realizing there was a different tone to the apology…almost a shared sorrow?

"Your dream…?"

Sam sighed and moved restlessly around the barn, wishing they could skip this conversation, but with everything so fresh he knew he could never manage to pull the wool over his brother's eyes with a cop-out story. Abruptly he found himself being pushed into a pile of hay. "Hey!" he shouted, then the memory of the fight in his dream had him blanching and turning away.

"Damn it Sammy, please." Dean plopped down beside Sam, concerned by the pallor and pain showing on Sam's face. His defenses must really be down for him to show that much. Clearly it was bad. "Did you have your own djinn dream?"

"You left, and when I came running, there was Jess and Mom, in the kitchen…" he trailed off. Dean stiffened, but remained silent.

"They were both so beautiful Dean…" the wistfulness in Sam's voice was nearly Dean's undoing.

"I know," he whispered, picturing his own alternate reality. Both sat silently for a few minutes, thinking of the women they had loved and lost. Subconsciously they both leaned slightly until their shoulders were touching slightly, somehow the shared pain and one another's presence providing more comfort than expected.

Finally Sam shook his head and continued. "You had taken the silver and left, and I knew I had to go after you. I managed to get back to the warehouse and found you hanging there…" he swallowed, once again the vivid image of his bound, unconscious brother hitting in stark technicolor. Then he flinched, and added, "and apparently I was there too."

"There?" questioned Dean, wondering if Sam had encountered his AU self.

"I hadn't rescued you, and the djinn had gotten me too. I was strung up next to you." He shivered, and Dean's hand landed on his knee, anchoring him to the present. "You - the one that was in the djinn world - were there, but you weren't you…you had given up. I thought your original plan could work again, so I started a fight. We fought, and you told me goodbye and killed me…then I woke up in the djinn's lair, a stranger cutting me down." He sniffed, trying to be stoic and hold back the tears. It was just a damn dream, Sam. Man up! "H - he got me down and I convinced him to cut you down but…"

Now the horrific cry he'd heard made complete sense. "- but I was already gone." Dean finished for him. Sam just nodded, and swiped at his face, embarrassed to be crying over a dream. Dean just sat quietly beside him, a solid, real presence. Both soaked in the reality that they were there, together, whole. And they had a family just a short distance away that cared deeply about them. They might not be family by blood, but they were no less family.

"Miss Lucy talked some sense into me." Dean finally shared. Sam's eyebrows went up and his mouth quirked up slightly, making Dean feel quite pleased with himself. He decided he'd throw himself under the bus if it meant pulling Sam from his nightmare thoughts. "Oh yes, she was very convincing. "We're your family too?" he mimicked her little voice, "Don't you want uth?"

"What did you say?"

"What could I say?" he replied in an exaggerated, exasperated voice, "She was cry-ing! And hugging me!" he smiled as Sam broke into a peal of laughter at Dean's comical expression. "Of course I said they were my family too, and that I wanted them too." He laughed with Sam briefly, then his face became solemn again. "You were right Sam. We do have family. YOU are my family," he bumped gently against his brother to emphasize his point, "but the McCormicks are our family too. In spite of all our losses, life has gifted us with these precious people. I don't know why they love us, and forgive us, and fix us up and clean up our messes, but I'm so glad they do."

"Agreed." Sam said, bumping Dean back. "We're really blessed." They sat in a more peaceful silence for a few more minutes, until the sound of the dogs barely preceded Digger and Coop racing into the barn with Jake on their heels.

Dean rose among the chaos of dog kisses and vocal greetings, reaching a hand back down to haul his brother to his feet. "You got the short end of the stick?" he drawled at Jake.

"I've been informed there is danger of the pie being eaten up." Jake replied solemnly, "and that the fallout from you not receiving any might be more epic than your brotherly spats, so I volunteered to save us all from your wrath." He smiled an understanding smile to take the sting from his words.

"Can't let that happen!" replied Sam, pushing Dean to get him moving, then clapping Jake on the back too as they all turned to return to the house. "Thanks Jake," he added simply.

"You've got some pretty special kids." Dean added. Jake glanced over, surprised to hear the sentiment but pleased nonetheless.

"Indeed," he replied. "I'm glad you find them as special as I do. I'm biased of course."

"So are we," replied Dean softly, "we're family."