Rumours, Reactions, and Runaways

Chapter 1:

Dean was attempting to watch Sam in the rear view mirror while simultaneously trying to keep the Impala on the road. Dean was happy to see the kid sleeping, but even though he hadn't woke up screaming in the last couple weeks Dean knew his little brother was still in a deep depression about Jessica, and was getting frustrated about the search for their Dad.

The third time he hit the rumble strip on the side of the road, a deep sigh brought him back to reality and he glanced over at the man in the passenger seat. Caleb Reaves was watching him, with a sour look on his face and when he turned towards Dean throwing an arm over the back of the bench seat, Dean groaned at what he knew was coming.

"We have never been good at all that sharing and caring bullshit Damien don't start acting like a bitch now." Dean grumbled.

"I'm acting like a bitch?" Caleb said with a smirk. "I'm not the one looking over the back seat every five minutes checking on the baby."

Dean's ears went red at the knowledge he had been caught. It wasn't like it was new for people to see him over protective of the kid; it was just that people weren't usually so open about it.

"I'm just making sure he doesn't wake up flailing and kick the back window out of my car, you know how hard it is to find proper fitting parts for this thing now a days?"

Caleb snorted and sat up to take off his worn black leather jacket.

"Good thing you know a grumpy old man who owns a junk yard then. I think he hoards car parts for you just in case you need them." Caleb said taking his own glance at their youngest in the back seat. "He hasn't been having nightmares lately Deuce, he seems like he is doing a little better then the last time I saw him."

Dean sighed and glanced over at his best friend.

"He's surviving it, but you and I both know there is no getting better from that, Dad never got over it."

"That's different, John lost his wife, the mother of his children… Jessica was-"

"The love of his life." Dean said quickly. "I mean he really loved her Damien, more then me and you will ever understand."

Caleb swallowed and looked at the kid in the backseat. He liked to think he was the oldest, the one who past on his wisdom to each of the Winchester's, but the truth was in some ways Sam knew more about life then any of them, and he carried so much pain inside him.

"Did he tell you that?" Caleb asked.

"Not with words… but you could just tell." Dean smirked. "Sometimes, he remembers her, and just for a second his eyes light up, and he smiles… and before he remembers that she is gone, and that this is his life, he is just so happy…"

Caleb had met Jessica a few times over the years, some Dean knew about… some he didn't, but he had seen the way Sam looked at her, and the way Jess looked at him. It was something he has never had, but he understood it as love. It was completely pure, like the darkness of Sam's past was being cleansed by her goodness.

"I'm glad he had that while he was at Stanford…" Caleb said.

Dean's hands clenched on the steering wheel as he tried to pull whatever emotions he was feeling together, Caleb gave him the moment, waiting for Dean to speak again.

"You know, when Sammy was a teenager I knew he was angry. I knew he was mad at Dad, and didn't like moving around all the time but I never thought that he wanted to get away from us. I thought he was happy… I didn't realize how angry and sad he was until he had already left for Stanford and then it was too late to fix it… and now… he'll never be the same."

"Of course he won't, he isn't eighteen anymore… but he is gonna be okay… just give him some time."

"Yeah I guess…" Dean said. He put the blinker on as they passed a sign for the turn of into the next town. "Baby needs gas, and I don't know about you guys but I need some fuel myself."

"Yeah I could definitely use some sustenance, should I wake him?" Caleb asked.

"I'm awake as long as you two are done with the broment." Dean swore under his breath, worried his brother would be mad they were talking about him, but judging by the dorky half awake look on his face, he has only heard the tail end of the conversation.

"Don't be an ass Sammy, you're the girl here."

Sam snorted and draped his arms over the front of the seat.

Did you say something about food?" Sam said.

"Yeah, this looks like a good place." Dean said pulling over in front of Jay's Diner. Sam groaned, one thing he hadn't missed about life on the road was the steady stream of greasy diner food.

"Chill kid, I'm sure you can get a salad here, or maybe you can put on your big boy pants and get a burger like a man."

Sam slapped the older man on the back of the head.

"Fuck you Reaves."

Caleb turned to hit him back when the squeak of the Impala's car door distracted him.

"Okay, be nice children." Dean said getting out of the car. "I say we get food, find a motel to pass out in, and then we got a case in Wixom."

The three men made their way into the diner, finding their way to the back corner far from the other patrons.

"Alright, so give me the low down on the case again?" Caleb asked around a mouth full of fries.

Sam took a sip of water, before pulling a newspaper article out of his pocket, and sliding it across the table so Caleb could read it.

"8 high school students have gone missing within the last 10 years, all reported missing by their parents or guardians when they didn't return home."

"Runaways maybe?" Caleb suggested.

Sam shook his head, pushing his bangs out of his eyes with his hand.

"Too many coincidences. All in their senior years of high school, no history of trouble, good grades, lots of friends. They were just regular guys, top of their classes. None of them had any reason to take off, they just disappeared and were never seen again."

"Lots of good kids run away Sammy..." Dean said. Caleb watched as a look of pain made its way across Sam's face, which was quickly covered up by classic Winchester fury.

"Not these kids, Dean. These were just happy go lucky kids, and then they were gone, people are looking for them, their families deserve to know."

The silence was awkward, as he two brothers thought about Stanford, and the different ways it weighed on each of them

"Alright boys, lets just get this done." Caleb said.

Both Winchester's seemed to come back to themselves and nodded in agreement. Sam stood first slapping some money one the table, before making his way outside. Dean sighed and followed silently. Caleb ran his hand over his face, they needed to solve this case, and he needed to keep the Winchester's from killing each other. It seemed so simple.